President Donald Trump is urging Senators to support a daylight saving plan that makes the forward time permanent, though some health specialists warn his preferred approach ignores biological realities.
The proposed changes arrive as millions of Americans prepare for the scheduled clock change, a system the President recently branded 'foolish'.
The House of Representatives approved the Sunshine Protection Act in July, leaving the fate of the nation's timekeeping to a divided Senate.
Lawmakers are on recess until 14 September, which gives them limited time before the scheduled 1 November change to end the twice-yearly clock shifts.
Citizens are asking if this is finally the year the country stops altering its schedule. For now, the answer appears to be no.
Donald Trump Promotes Permanent Daylight Saving Plan
Trump has long supported ending the seasonal clock shifts. Taking to Truth Social on 4 August, the President called the current practice 'foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly'. He stated plainly that people are tired of having to change their clocks twice a year.
Trump cited what he described as potential benefits of permanent daylight saving time, including fewer traffic accidents, lower crime, energy savings and more time for family and outdoor activities.
'In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change again', Trump wrote, urging politicians to pass the Sunshine Protection Act. However, lawmakers debate the proposal as the reality of a divided chamber sets in.
Even with support from Trump and representatives in both parties, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has openly questioned whether enough senators actually support the legislation. If the Senate does approve the measure, it would head directly to the president's desk.
Health Experts Challenge Trump Daylight Saving Plan
While political leaders count potential votes, medical professionals are raising entirely different concerns. Some health specialists favour permanent standard time over permanent daylight saving time. Sleep and health researchers say the twice-yearly changes disrupt circadian rhythms, the internal mechanisms that regulate sleep and biological functions.
The spring time change, when clocks move forward an hour, has been directly linked to sleep disruption, traffic crashes and increased health risks.
Many specialists argue that permanent standard time would better align with the body's natural clock.
Erik Herzog, a biology and neuroscience professor at Washington University in St. Louis, has previously expressed support for that approach. Herzog told USA TODAY that permanent standard time is the healthier option.
Religious Communities Oppose Permanent Daylight Saving Plan
The resistance extends beyond medical circles. Some religious communities have raised concerns about the effects of later winter sunrises under a permanent daylight schedule.
Rabbi Josh Joseph of the Orthodox Union pointed out that many Jewish religious practices are tied to sunrise and sunset, which determine specific prayer times. A significantly later winter sunrise could make morning prayers more difficult for working professionals, particularly in parts of the American Midwest and Mountain West.
Some Muslim communities have similar concerns because certain daily prayers must be completed by dawn.
A permanent shift forward would delay dawn considerably during the coldest months, prompting these communities to voice their unease. Their objections highlight the unexpected daily complications that a unified time zone shift could create for ordinary citizens.
Americans Await Verdict on Daylight Saving Plan
Public opinion polls suggest many Americans have grown weary of the twice-yearly ritual. A 2023 YouGov survey indicated that 62 per cent of people favoured eliminating the seasonal clock changes.
By January 2025, a Gallup poll found that 54 per cent wanted to end the practice. However, respondents were divided over whether the nation should adopt permanent daylight saving time or default to permanent standard time.
Not all jurisdictions observe daylight saving time. Several states and territories remain on standard time year-round, including Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Most of Arizona also opts out of the shifting clocks, with the exception of the Navajo Nation.
Unless Congress acts quickly after returning from recess, daylight saving time will end at 2am local time on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
In jurisdictions that observe daylight saving time, clocks will move back one hour to 1am. This shift gives Americans an extra hour of sleep but also brings earlier winter sunsets.
