A cause near and dear to President Donald Trump’s heart is inching its way closer to his desk.
The House passed legislation on Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent, removing the need for Americans to adjust their clocks twice a year.
The bill, known as the Sunshine Protection Act, passed 308-117, and was championed by Trump, who encouraged lawmakers to vote for it in a May Truth Social post when it was in front of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
“This is so important in that Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks. Many of these Clocks are located in Towers, and the cost of renting, or using, Heavy Equipment to do this twice a year is prohibitive!” the 80-year-old wrote.
He continued, “I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”
The law would make the time currently observed from March to November permanent, meaning that the sun would rise and set an hour later year-round, not just in summer.
“We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!” Trump wrote in his May post.
The bill will now head to the Senate for consideration. A previous version of the legislation stalled in the Senate last year after Sen. Tom Cotton raised concerns, including that making daylight saving time permanent could lead to potential negative consequences for parts of the country where the sun now would not rise until 9 a.m. and force workers to commute in the dark. Currently, most of the U.S. observes daylight saving time except Hawaii, Arizona, and several U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.
The president has reportedly been fixated on the issue of making daylight saving time permanent, with Politico reporting last month that he had been lobbying Republicans to ensure the legislation passes, claiming that it would benefit voters who spend “work and money” adjusting their clocks twice a year.
“The president has been actively engaged in this,” a senior White House official told Politico. “It’s a big priority for him,” they added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also been an enthusiastic proponent of making daylight saving time permanent, co-sponsoring the Sunshine Protection Act with Democratic Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey in 2024.
“It’s time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth,” Rubio said in a statement at the time. “Let’s finally pass my Sunshine Protection Act and end the need to ‘fall back’ and ‘spring forward’ for good.”
“This head-spinning ritual of falling back and springing forward has gone on long enough,” Sen. Markey said. “It isn’t just a nuisance — changing our clocks also has a very real impact on our economy, our health, and our happiness. More sun means more fun, so let’s pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make for brighter days year-round.”
While daylight saving time was temporarily used during World War I and World War II, it was not made official nationwide until the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
According to a 2025 AP-NORC poll, only 12 percent of Americans liked the existing system; a whopping 47 percent of U.S. adults were opposed to changing their clocks twice a year.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
