Updated Oct. 2, 2026, 5:32 a.m. MT
President Donald Trump is once again urging Congress to act and pass The Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent.
Trump wrote a lengthy post on Truth Social on Oct. 1, about a month before clocks will fall back one hour, marking the return to standard time, which will remain in effect through the winter. Turning the clocks back means earlier sunsets in the evening, but it also brings more daylight to the morning hours.
“…a ridiculous clock changing process that takes place twice a year, costs our country a fortune, is bad for crime, stress on people, sports, and just about everything else you can imagine,” Trump wrote on X.
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 14 in a 308-117 vote. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where it remains. For the Sunshine Protection Act to become law, it would still need to pass the Senate.
Several senators and policy experts have raised concerns that permanent daylight saving time could mean darker winter mornings, especially in northern states. Critics say the change could leave many children heading to school before sunrise during the winter months, reported USA TODAY.
“People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year. Even most farmers would rather have additional time in the evening to harvest their crops. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly,” Trump wrote in the post.
Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks move back one hour to 1 a.m.
The shift marks the return to standard time and gives Americans an extra hour of sleep, while also bringing earlier sunsets and more morning daylight through the winter months.
Did making daylight savings time permanent pass?
While the bill to make daylight saving time permanent through the Sunshine Protection Act passed the House, it would still need the approval of the Senate.
Unless that happens, Americans will still need to change their clocks come November.
What is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward an hour from March until November in an effort to gain more sunlight during the summer months.
According to the Library of Congress, it was first enacted in 1918 as a fuel cost-saving measure during World War I.
Daylight saving time became federal law under the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
Under the law, some states can opt to exempt itself from daylight saving time. Daylight saving time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and most of Arizona, according to the Department of Transportation.
USA TODAY contributed to this story.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
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