President Donald Trump is urging Congress to permanently eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes, calling on the Senate to approve legislation that would put an end to daylight saving time shifts after the House already passed the measure.

Speaking at a July 27 rally at a General Motors plant in Michigan, Trump encouraged lawmakers to scrap the longstanding practice of moving clocks ahead in the spring and back in the fall.

President Donald Trump voiced his support for ending the mandatory clock changes, arguing that Americans should no longer have to reset their clocks twice each year.

“Let’s get rid of daylight saving time stuff, OK?” Trump said July 27 at a rally at a General Motors plant in Michigan.

Trump noted that the House has already approved legislation allowing states to stop changing their clocks, and said he hopes the Senate will now send the bill to his desk. The Senate previously passed similar legislation in 2022.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has acknowledged that the proposal’s path forward remains uncertain, saying it is unclear whether supporters can secure the 60 votes necessary to overcome procedural hurdles.

“Hopefully, the Senate is going to approve that one,” Trump said. “The House approved it and we’re going to get rid of that.”

Under the current system, most Americans set their clocks ahead by one hour each March and turn them back one hour each November. The seasonal time change is intended to provide more evening daylight during the warmer months while shifting additional daylight to the morning during the winter.

Backers of ending the biannual time change argue that repeatedly disrupting sleep schedules contributes to health problems and increases the risk of traffic accidents.

Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico, already do not observe daylight saving time. Another 19 states have passed legislation that would eliminate the clock changes once federal law allows them to do so, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

“Locking the clock all year long would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, energy conservation, motor vehicle safety and our economy,” Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, said July 13.

The proposal, however, continues to face opposition in the Senate. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, has argued against making daylight saving time permanent and could use Senate procedures to slow or block the legislation. He contends the sun would rise at “dangerously late hours” if daylight saving time were adopted year-round.

{Matzav.com}