Home · Politics · Oct 30 archive
Senate Unlikely to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
· Confirmed
In Short: The Senate is unlikely to pass a House bill making daylight saving time permanent, defying President Trump's pressure.
As daylight saving time ends early Sunday and much of the country turns the clocks back an hour, several senators are holding up legislation that would eliminate the longtime U.S. practice.
In the winter of 1973, amid an energy crisis, Congress passed a law instituting permanent daylight saving time for what was supposed to be a trial period.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott signed legislation when he was governor in 2018 that would allow the state to remain on daylight saving time year round, pending federal approval.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said, 'No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.'
The Senate is unlikely to act before the end of the year on a House-passed bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, defying President Donald Trump and dashing the hopes of Americans who don’t like having to change their clocks twice a year.
Supporters argue that ending the time change would provide more daylight during the afternoon, when Americans are most active, but opponents say commuters in some states wouldn’t see the sun until after 9 a.m.
Trump said in a social media post over the weekend that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is the chief obstacle to the measure and gave out Cotton’s cellphone number so proponents could pressure him.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said that it’s his understanding that the House bill is a “non-starter” for Senate Republican leaders.
An AP-NORC poll last year found that only 12% of American adults were in favor of the current system, while almost half opposed it.
According to Dr. John La Puma, a California physician and expert in nature-based medicine, the abrupt loss of evening sunlight can suppress serotonin and melatonin production, which can lead to a depressed mood.
Despite posting a picture of him on social media (and then deleting it), Taylor said: 'I'm going to be honest, I've met him twice.'
The endless fight over daylight saving time is back in the news after President Donald Trump urged the Senate to clear a House-passed bill to make it permanent.
What this adds
The debate over daylight saving time has persisted for decades, with varying opinions on its benefits and drawbacks.
While some research has suggested that the fall time change could have cardiovascular benefits, the impact on mental health remains a concern.
Background
The Senate is unlikely to pass a House bill making daylight saving time permanent, defying President Trump's pressure.
By following these tips, individuals can better prepare for the end of daylight saving time and minimize the disruption to their sleep and health.
What's confirmed
- As daylight saving time ends early Sunday and much of the country turns the clocks back an hour, several senators are holding up legislation that would eliminate the longtime U.S. practice.
- In the winter of 1973, amid an energy crisis, Congress passed a law instituting permanent daylight saving time for what was supposed to be a trial period.
- Florida Sen. Rick Scott signed legislation when he was governor in 2018 that would allow the state to remain on daylight saving time year round, pending federal approval.
- "No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter," said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
- He renewed his call in a social media post this week, writing on Truth Social that "United States Senate is letting the Daylight Saving Bill die, when a vast Majority of the Country want it."
- WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is unlikely to act before the end of the year on a House-passed bill that would make daylight saving time permanent, defying President Donald Trump and dashing the hopes of Americans who don’t like having to change their clocks twice a year.
- Supporters argue that ending the time change would provide more daylight during the afternoon, when Americans are most active, but opponents say commuters in some states wouldn’t see the sun until after 9 a.m.
- Cotton has doubled down in response to Trump’s pressure, and several Republicans predicted in recent weeks that the bill won’t come up for a vote in the short time left when the Senate returns to Washington after the Nov.
- RELATED STORY | House passes bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent Cotton, a member of GOP leadership, is the most vocal opponent of the change, notably drawing Trump's ire earlier this month when the Republican president posted his personal cellphone number on social media and ordered him to "GET IT DONE!"
- "You'd be sending kids to school in the dark," said South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds.
- Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said that it’s his understanding that the House bill is a “non-starter” for Senate Republican leaders.
- An AP-NORC poll last year found that only 12% of American adults were in favor of the current system, while almost half opposed it.
What's still developing
- “It’s time for our members to go home to their districts and make the case to the American people,” Johnson told reporters.
- He reviews USD/JPY’s failure to break above last week’s high despite yield pressure this week and revisits his long-standing 103 target for the DXY.
- “There will be a lot to say, but there will be a right place and a right time to say this. It’s not today, it’s not here, but here and today, we are enjoying football,” Infantino told British broadcaster Sky News outside the venue.
- With U.S. diesel prices rising to an all-time high this week, President Donald Trump added support to the calls from farm-state Republicans to implement a temporary ban on diesel exports.
- “In 1976, Brian Mulroney launched a charm offensive the likes of which Canada had never seen, dismantling the political establishment one dad joke at a time,” notes a film synopsis.
- Barclays removed its 4.75% two-year fixed rate and 4.93% five-year deal for new customers this week, leaving its best rates above the 5% threshold, according to The Times.
- The U.S. first adopted daylight saving time in 1918 during World War I as an effort to conserve fuel after Europe implemented its own time change, according to the Congressional Research Service.
- After the war, the U.S. let states and municipalities decide for themselves if they wanted to keep daylight saving time and when to observe it. (Congress didn't establish a uniform start and end for the time change until 1966.) In the '70s, continuous daylight saving time was stopped before reaching the 10-month mark.
- ING had commented; "Expect DXY to remain bid in a 101.50-101.80 range today, but an upside breakout is a possibility should tomorrow's US data surprise on the upside or should the sell-off in European government debt start to heavily weigh on the euro."
- Head of Climate Attribution at the Met Office, Dr Mark McCarthy said that summer 2026 was "remarkable" and we can expect to see extremes occurring more frequently in the future because of climate change.
- “We appreciate the FCC’s careful review and are pleased that it has granted Paramount’s petition consistent with its established process,” the company said in a statement.
- “ Our research finds that turning the clocks back before Election Day reduces the number of people who vote,” University of Virginia professor of public policy, politics, and education John Holbein told Newsweek.