What’s next for daylight saving time? GOP leader warns of ‘main concern’
Senate Faces Key Decision as Permanent Daylight Saving Time Proposal Moves Forward
The effort to end the long-standing practice of changing clocks twice each year has gained significant momentum after the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. While the House vote marked an important step, the proposal now faces a more challenging path in the Senate, where lawmakers continue to debate how the plan would affect states across the country.
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House with strong bipartisan support in a 308-117 vote. The proposal also has the backing of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged Congress to approve the measure and permanently eliminate seasonal clock changes.
Despite growing support, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that several questions still need to be addressed before the legislation can move forward. Speaking with reporters, Thune said he is not ruling out bringing the bill to the Senate floor, but emphasized that lawmakers remain concerned about how the legislation would apply to individual states.
According to Thune, one of the biggest issues under discussion is whether states should have the flexibility to decide if they want to participate. He said there are differing opinions among Republican senators, with some supporting the proposal while others remain opposed. He also noted that lawmakers are carefully reviewing the legislation before deciding on the next step.
Under the version approved by the House, the United States would remain on the current daylight saving time schedule throughout the entire year instead of switching back to standard time every fall. However, states would have the option to exempt themselves before the law takes effect.
The debate over permanent daylight saving time is not new. Congress has examined similar proposals for decades. During the 1970s oil crisis, lawmakers temporarily adopted year-round daylight saving time through the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act. However, the policy was later repealed after many Americans expressed concerns about children traveling to school during dark morning hours.
More recently, the Senate unanimously approved a version of the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, but the legislation never received a vote in the House. In 2025, another attempt to advance similar legislation was unsuccessful after Sen. Tom Cotton objected to the proposal.
According to a senior Senate aide, Cotton continues to have concerns about the impact of permanent daylight saving time on morning daylight. Those concerns include the possibility that sunrise could occur after 8 a.m. in some parts of the country, increasing safety risks for students walking or traveling to school in darkness and creating more difficult commuting conditions for workers.
Similar concerns have also been raised by Sen. Mike Rounds, who has argued that permanent daylight saving time would not be practical in South Dakota. He pointed out that some students could be heading to school before sunrise well into the morning if the proposal became law.
Because of these objections, Senate leaders may carefully consider whether to dedicate valuable floor time to legislation that could face procedural delays or extended debate.
President Trump has continued to publicly support making daylight saving time permanent. Since returning to the White House, he has repeatedly encouraged Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, describing seasonal clock changes as an unnecessary inconvenience for Americans and an avoidable expense for the federal government. He has also pledged to work toward signing the legislation into law if it reaches his desk.
Although the House vote represents meaningful progress for supporters of permanent daylight saving time, the proposal’s future now depends on whether the Senate can resolve concerns about state flexibility, public safety, and regional differences. Until lawmakers reach an agreement, Americans will continue following the current system of changing clocks twice each year.
Sources
- U.S. Congress (House of Representatives)
- U.S. Senate
- Office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune
- The White House
