Stop Changing the Clocks. Pass the Sunshine Protection Act
The House passed permanent daylight saving time 308–117. The Senate has stalled, and Trump is pressing hard. In our view, America should end the twice-a-year ritual, even as health experts argue over which fixed time is best.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 5, 2026 | 6-min read Twice a year, millions of Americans crawl around the house changing clocks, missing alarms and wondering why Congress cannot settle a simple question. The House already has. On July 14, it passed the Sunshine Protection Act, H.R. 139, by 308 to 117 [1]. The Senate received the bill the next day and parked it in committee [1]. Over the weekend, President Trump turned up the heat on Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who opposes permanent daylight saving time [2][3]. In our view, the twice-a-year ritual should end. Americans deserve one fixed clock. Key Takeaways H.R. 139 passed the House 308–117 on July 14, 2026, and was received in the Senate on July 15 [1]. Trump pressed Senate Republicans to move the bill, saying clock changes cost the country "a fortune" and are "bad for Crime, stress on people, Sports" [2]. Sleep doctors at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine favor permanent standard time, not permanent daylight saving time [4]. That disagreement is real, and Congress should face it honestly. The next clock change is Nov. 1, 2026, at 2 a.m. local time, according to NIST [5]. That date is close. Either the Senate acts, or Americans change the clocks again. Where the Bill Stands Congress.gov records the House vote and the Senate referral to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation [1]. NBC News reports the Senate has yet to take up the measure [2]. The Associated Press notes that under the bill, states could still opt out of permanent daylight saving time, as some territories and Hawaii already sit outside DST today [3][5]. Trump's weekend posts named Cotton as the roadblock and urged