Trump says daylight saving time is 'popular,' but enough to be permanent?

USA Today

5 days ago

Nearly a month after the 2025 summer solstice – the so-called longest day of the year – the amount of afternoon daylight in the U.S. has been slowly diminishing and eventually will give way to the early nights of late fall and winter.
But what if an extra hour of evening daylight could be squeezed out of every day?
That's what almost 20 states have advocated for by passing measures in recent years in favor of year-round daylight saving time. President Donald Trump expressed support for such a notion as recently as three months ago, calling it 'very popular,'' though he has also referred to the move as a '50-50 issue.''
The practice of changing clocks twice a year has few supporters, what with the confusion and sleep disruption it creates. The dispute lies on whether to stick with standard time, which in this country runs from the first Sunday in November until the second Sunday in March, or embrace year-long daylight saving time.
Here's what we know about the long-running debate:
Is Congress any closer to making a change?
It appeared that way in January when both chambers introduced legislation for a permanent DST, which in the Senate was known as the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025. Both bills were promoted by Republicans from Florida, at a time when the GOP grabbed control of the House and Senate.
But even though the measures have continued to gain sponsors, more than 40 altogether, no action has taken place, and lawmakers from some states have expressed reservations.
In 2022, the Senate unanimously approved a bill championed by then-Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for permanent DST, with exceptions for Hawaii and Arizona, but the measure died in the House.
What are the pros and cons of both sides?
Supporters of full-time DST promote opportunities for more after-school and after-work recreational activities in the daylight and amid warmer temperatures, which could improve the health of children and adults.
Advocates also say later daytime hours would lead to reduced energy use, thereby cutting down on the carbon footprint amid growing concerns about climate change.
Opponents point out the safety risks of children having to go to school and possibly wait for buses in the dark. They also say later daytime hours disrupt sleep and make it more difficult to wake up when it's dark in the morning.
Which states want yearlong DST?
Of the 18 states that have enacted legislation for year-round DST since 2018, seven are in the Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. Those are all Republican-leaning states, but the issue is not red and blue.
Washington, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota, Delaware and Maine typically favor Democrats and they voted for the switch, and in deep-blue California voters authorized the legislature to ditch the clock-changing system, albeit requiring a two-thirds majority, if Congress allows it.
The other states that prefer a permanent DST are Idaho (for the Pacific time zone only), Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
Only Hawaii and Arizona (most of it) observe standard time for the whole year, as do the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico.
How did we get here?
DST was implemented as an energy-saving effort during both World War I and WWII. They were temporary measures, as was the adoption of year-round DST in 1974 during a severe energy crisis. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act to standardize timekeeping across a nation that had allowed states to observe DST inconsistently.
The law established specific periods for standard time and DST, and though it gave states the option to remain on standard time for the year, it did not allow them to go to permanent DST without congressional approval.
Until 2005, DST ended the final Sunday of October and began the first Sunday in April. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the stretch to its current format of nearly eight months.
Now the question is whether legislators will 'lock the clock'' and make the later daylight hours permanent.