President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform over the weekend to press the Senate to approve the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would allow states to observe daylight saving time permanently. In a direct appeal to Arkansas voters, Trump posted his personal phone number and urged them to tell Sen. Tom Cotton, R‑Ark., to support the measure.
Trump’s Appeal to Arkansas Residents
“Almost everybody wants the Sunshine Protection Act to pass, except for Tom Cotton,” Trump wrote. “To the Great People of Arkansas, please let your Senator know it would be a GREAT bipartisan win for the United States Senate, and for America, itself.”
Sen. Cotton’s Opposition
Sen. Tom Cotton, a vocal opponent of the bill, responded on X, noting that Congress has tried permanent daylight saving time before and repealed it after Americans complained about extremely late winter sunrises. “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent daylight saving time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” Cotton said. He added, “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
Historical Context and Regional Concerns
The idea of year‑round daylight saving time dates back to the 1970s, when a similar experiment was quickly abandoned after parents complained that children were waiting for school buses in darkness. Lawmakers from mountainous and western states have long warned that a permanent shift could push sunrise to as late as 9:30 a.m. in places like Montana, creating challenges for families.
Senators from both parties have weighed in. Democrat Patty Murray (D‑Wash.) and Republican Rick Scott (R‑Fla.) introduced a Senate version of the bill last year, citing growing frustration among Americans who repeatedly set their clocks back and forth. Murray said, “Every year, more Americans grow more frustrated setting their clocks back and forth, and every winter folks in Washington state despair at the prospect of losing an hour of precious sunlight when we are forced off daylight saving time.”
Western Opposition
Republicans from land‑locked western states, including Sen. Steve Daines (R‑Mont.) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R‑S.D.), warned that permanent daylight saving time would leave children in darkness during winter mornings. Daines told CNN in July, “I can see where Florida likes it for tee times at certain times of the year, but it doesn’t work so well for moms and dads putting kids on buses when the sunrise in Western Montana wouldn’t be till 9:30 in the morning. It’s not going to work for us.”
Legislative Outlook
The bill cleared the House this summer with strong bipartisan support, reflecting a popular sentiment among voters who dislike the twice‑yearly clock change. However, Senate leaders face a packed agenda after the November midterm elections, with the National Defense Authorization Act, supplemental war funding, and a looming government funding battle likely to dominate floor time.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R‑Wyo.) noted in July, “Depends where you’re living in the country and the impact — what it would be, in your own home state. So it’s not as simple as what one state might like.” This acknowledgment underscores the regional divide that makes a one‑size‑fits‑all solution challenging.
Trump’s Position and the Way Forward
President Trump remains steadfast in his belief that a permanent daylight saving schedule would benefit American families, businesses, and the nation’s overall productivity. By publicly challenging a fellow Republican, he signals that the administration will continue to champion policies that align with the preferences of everyday Americans, even when faced with intra‑party dissent.
As the Senate deliberates, the administration’s message is clear: the American people deserve a consistent, daylight‑rich schedule that supports parents, workers, and the economy. Whether the Senate will heed that call remains to be seen, but the debate highlights the enduring tension between regional needs and national policy goals.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
