The House again approved legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, reviving a proposal that has a history of receiving bipartisan support and broad public appeal. But despite clearing the House with a 308-117 vote, the measure now faces a familiar hurdle in the Senate: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).
Cotton has positioned himself as one of the chamber’s most vocal opponents of locking the country into year-round daylight saving time, arguing that the change would produce dangerously dark winter mornings for much of the country. The Republican has said he will oppose the legislation that would keep clocks permanently set one hour ahead, contending that children would head to school before sunrise and commuters would face safety risks during the winter months.
The House-passed Sunshine Protection Act would end the twice-yearly clock changes by making daylight saving time permanent nationwide, while allowing states to opt out and remain on standard time if they act before the new law takes effect. President Donald Trump has backed the proposal, saying Americans are tired of changing their clocks twice a year.
The bill’s biggest challenge lies in the Senate, where individual lawmakers wield significant influence over what reaches the floor. Similar legislation cleared the Senate unanimously in 2022 after advancing by unanimous consent, but it later stalled in the House amid growing concerns from sleep experts and lawmakers representing northern states.
Cotton said he made a “mistake” by not personally objecting to the legislation in 2022. In a speech delivered in October 2025, Cotton explained he had thought another lawmaker would voice opposition, but a miscommunication led to the bill’s passage. The Arkansas Republican has vowed not to make the same mistake again.
Cotton’s opposition reflects a broader debate over whether the country should adopt the change. Medical organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have generally favored permanent standard time, arguing it better aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Supporters of permanent daylight saving time counter that later evening sunlight encourages outdoor activity, boosts commerce, and eliminates the disruptions caused by changing the clocks twice each year.
History also looms over the debate.
Congress briefly placed the nation on year-round daylight saving time during the 1973 energy crisis, hoping longer evening daylight would conserve fuel. The experiment quickly became unpopular as winter sunrises in many parts of the country slipped past 8 a.m., leaving children waiting for school buses in darkness. After months of public backlash, Congress repealed the policy in 1974 and returned to seasonal clock changes.
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Cotton referenced the 1970’s debacle in the speech delivered last year, asking, “Why should we repeat history?”
The history of Congress’s attempt to enact the change, paired with Cotton showing he plans to stand in opposition, could again make it difficult for supporters to secure enough momentum in the Senate to send the legislation to the Oval Office.