Trump Pressures Republicans to Make Daylight Saving Permanent
US President Donald Trump is pushing Republican lawmakers to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. He wants to stop the twice-a-year practice of changing clocks. President Trump has criticized one senator for blocking this effort.
On Saturday, President Trump used social media to speak out. He criticized US Senator Tom Cotton. Mr. Trump said Senator Cotton was delaying the “Sunshine Protection Act.” President Trump also called this bill the “No More Changing of Clocks Act.”
Mr. Trump wrote that Senator Cotton was stopping the bill. He said it would be easy to pass. The President also believes it would pass with strong support from both parties. He added that people do not want to change clocks twice a year. He thinks afternoon sunshine is better than early morning light.
President Trump also shared what he said was Senator Cotton’s phone number. He asked people in Arkansas to call Senator Cotton. The White House and Senator Cotton’s office did not comment on this.
President Trump has often asked Senate Republicans to pass this law. The bill would end the practice of changing clocks. Americans have done this for decades to get more daylight hours. The US House of Representatives passed a similar bill in July by a vote of 308 to 117.
Senator Cotton has opposed this bill before. Last year, he said that farmers, construction workers, and children going to school would start their days in the dark during winter.
President Trump disagreed with Senator Cotton’s view. He wrote that the bill would be an “easy win” for the Republican Party. He added that if Senator Cotton supported the bill, people in Arkansas would get more daylight. They also would not need to change clocks.
The President, who enjoys golf, also spoke about the PGA TOUR. He said golfers need more daylight in the afternoon to finish their tournaments. He also mentioned regular golfers, tennis players, and farmers.
President Trump spent time at his golf club on Saturday. Later, he said people told him they dislike going home in the dark after a time change. He called it “depressing.”
In 1974, the US Congress tried year-round Daylight Saving Time. This was to save energy. But Congress ended the law less than a year later. They worried about children’s safety because they went to school before sunrise.
US senators left Washington this week. They will not return until after the November 3 elections. Some senators believe the bill will not be voted on soon. Senator John Kennedy said it was unlikely to pass before the elections.
