President Donald Trump is intensifying his push to make daylight saving time permanent, personally urging Republican senators to remove procedural roadblocks and send legislation to his desk after the measure cleared the House of Representatives.

In a lengthy Truth Social post Tuesday evening, Trump announced that the House had approved the Sunshine Protection Act and said the bill is now awaiting final action in the Senate. Calling the twice-yearly clock changes unnecessary and outdated, the president appealed directly to Senate Republicans to allow the legislation to move forward.

“For many years, the vast Majority of Americans have asked to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, but no Administration has been able to get it done, until now. I am proud to announce that the House of Representatives has passed the Bill, and it has now gone to the Senate for final approval,” Trump wrote.

Trump argued that Americans have grown weary of changing their clocks every spring and fall, describing the current system as wasteful, inconvenient, and harmful.

“People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly. For Cities and States with Watchtowers, and hard to reach places, it costs Millions of Dollars,” he wrote.

The president also cited what he said were medical, economic, and public safety benefits of keeping daylight saving time in effect throughout the year.

“A recent case was made that it is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates. Leading Medical, Crime, and Economic Studies have now shown that ceasing the biannual time change, giving us one extra hour of natural sunlight in the evenings, will help Decrease Robbery and Murder Rates, Reduce Car Accidents (especially those involving Pedestrians!), Lower Risk for Cardiac Issues, Stroke, and Seasonal Depression, Make It Safer for Children to Walk Home from School, Increase Time with your Family, Strongly Support Extracurricular Activities, Boost the Sports, Fitness, Tourism, Retail, and Restaurant Industries (and more!), and Save Money on Energy Bills, because everyone will be enjoying an EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT.”

He added that the legislation would simply preserve the current time setting year-round.

“In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change again.”

Trump concluded by framing the proposal as a rare bipartisan issue and called on Republicans to break the Senate impasse.

“This is an issue that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can unite behind. I am asking Republican Senators to release their holds, and allow the hotline to clear on the Republican side. LET’S PASS THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ASAP. Thank you to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

The House approved the legislation in July despite opposition from members of both parties, sending it to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. Trump has made permanent daylight saving time one of his signature quality-of-life initiatives and has devoted considerable personal attention to lobbying lawmakers to support the measure.

The proposal, however, faces resistance from several influential Senate Republicans. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has opposed previous efforts to make daylight saving time permanent, while Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has also been a longtime critic of the change.

Support for the bill has been especially strong among lawmakers from Florida, where tourism, outdoor recreation, restaurants, golf, and other businesses are expected to benefit from longer evening daylight. Opponents, particularly those representing agriculture-heavy states, have warned that later sunrises could complicate farming operations and create concerns over darker mornings, particularly for schoolchildren, commuters, and sleep patterns.

With the House having already acted, the fate of the Sunshine Protection Act now rests in the Senate, where Trump is hoping his direct appeal will persuade enough Republicans to clear the procedural hurdles and bring the bill to a vote. If approved by the Senate, the legislation would permanently end the twice-yearly clock changes observed across most of the United States.

{Matzav.com}