Politics & Government
President Donald Trump is pressing the Senate to stop the twice-yearly clock change, but the hands are not moving by executive command. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act, H.R. 139, on July 14 by a 308–117 vote. The measure would make daylight saving time permanent in most of the country while preserving an opt-out path for states that choose year-round standard time. It is now waiting on the Senate, where leaders control whether it reaches the floor.
That distinction matters. Trump can campaign for the bill and promise to sign it, but Congress must change the Uniform Time Act. Fox News reported the president’s renewed public demand that senators act quickly. GovInfo supplies the House text, and the official vote confirms the bipartisan margin. Those records establish what happened; they do not establish that a Senate vote is scheduled. As of Tuesday morning, no final Senate passage has occurred.
The politics divide less cleanly than the party labels. Retail, outdoor-recreation and tourism advocates favor more evening light. Sleep-medicine groups generally want an end to clock switching too, but many prefer permanent standard time because morning light more closely supports circadian rhythms. Lawmakers from northern states point to very late winter sunrises, when children and commuters could begin the day in darkness. The country briefly tried year-round daylight saving time during the 1970s energy crisis and reversed course early after public support fell.
States would still have work to do. Arizona and Hawaii already remain on standard time under existing federal law, and the House bill provides a window for other states to opt out. States that previously enacted contingent laws favoring permanent daylight time would need to align school, transit and business schedules with the federal effective date. Airlines, railroads, software systems and international timetables would need notice, even though abolishing the seasonal switch simplifies later years.
Here is the clean cracker count: the House has voted, the president has endorsed the result, and the Senate has not finished the job. The next meaningful document is not another social-media post. It is a Senate calendar entry, amendment, vote or committee action. Until one appears, Americans should still plan to set clocks back on November 1. Politics may run on urgency, but time law still runs on enacted text. Show me the crackers—and this time, they are stamped by both chambers. Current federal and state rules remain in force until then.
Sources
- GovInfo — H.R. 139 — Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 (07-14-2026)
- Associated Press — House passes bill to ditch the switch and make daylight saving time permanent (07-14-2026)
- Fox News Digital — Daylight saving time fight puts Senate up against a ticking clock (08-17-2026)