Americans are less than two months away from turning their clocks back, but a renewed push from President Donald Trump to make Daylight Saving Time permanent has raised the prospect that this year's November switch could be the last. Most Americans will set clocks back one hour on November 1 as the country returns to Standard Time. But Trump has recently urged lawmakers to move forward with legislation that would end the twice-yearly clock changes and make Daylight Saving Time permanent, reviving a debate that has repeatedly stalled on Capitol Hill.
The push comes after years of congressional efforts to eliminate seasonal clock changes. The most notable attempt, the Sunshine Protection Act, passed the Senate in 2022 but never received a vote in the House. While the issue has attracted bipartisan support in Washington, the path to a nationwide change remains uncertain.
Trump has recently called on lawmakers to revisit the legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent year-round. Under permanent Daylight Saving Time, Americans would no longer adjust their clocks each spring and fall. Supporters argue that later sunsets benefit businesses, recreation and outdoor activity, while opponents warn that darker winter mornings could have consequences for sleep, health and safety.
In a Truth Social post in April, the president called on lawmakers to "push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day" and described changing the clocks as "A VERY COSTLY EVENT" for the government. In May, he wrote that he was "going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law." Trump's renewed interest has helped bring the issue back into the national conversation just weeks before Americans are once again scheduled to change their clocks. Nothing is expected to change before the upcoming clock switch at 2 a.m. local time on November 1.
Unless Congress passes legislation and the president signs it into law before then, Americans in most states will still move their clocks back by one hour on November 1 and remain on Standard Time throughout the winter. Even if lawmakers were to approve permanent Daylight Saving Time, implementation would likely require additional planning and a future effective date rather than taking effect immediately. On the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, the sun (in the current system, when it goes back to Standard Time on November 1) rises at 6:55 a.m. in LA; 7:15 a.m. in Chicago; and 7:17 a.m. in New York City (NYC).
Opponents of permanent Daylight Saving Time point to the fact that the sun wouldn't rise until 7:55 a.m. on the West Coast that day, sending school children and morning commuters to their destinations in the dark. At the end of the day, the sun wouldn't set at 4:48 p.m. in Los Angeles; 4:23 p.m. in Chicago; and 4:32 p.m. in NYC; instead, each of those would gain an extra hour. Despite renewed attention from the White House, prediction market traders remain skeptical that Congress will act quickly.
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