President Donald Trump intensified pressure on Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) over the Sunshine Protection Act, accusing the Republican senator of holding up the legislation and urging Arkansas voters to pressure him to support a Senate vote on permanently ending the twice-yearly clock changes.
Trump Pushes ‘Lock the Clock’ Agenda
On Saturday, in a Truth Social post, Trump said Cotton, “a friend of mine,” was “holding up a very important Bill” and accused the Republican senator of holding up the Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate
“For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill,” he said, urging Arkansas residents to tell Cotton to “GET IT DONE!”
“To the Great People of Arkansas, please let your Senator know it would be a GREAT Bipartisan WIN for the United States Senate, and for America itself. Call Tom on his cellphone at… and let him know,” he added.
The President argued that Americans prefer more daylight later in the day, writing that “having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning.”
He cited the PGA Tour, saying it “needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments.”
He also pointed to “regular Golfers, Tennis Players, Hunters and, perhaps most importantly, Farmers” who could benefit from additional afternoon daylight.
Trump said “65% PLUS want more sun in the afternoon” while “100% don’t want to change their Clocks twice a year.” He said Americans want to “LOCK THE CLOCK!”
He also noted that the House passed the measure by a 308-117 vote and demanded, “HAVE THE SENATE VOTE, NOW!”
Cotton Opposes Permanent DST
Cotton said, “No one likes changing the clock, me included,” but argued that Americans repealed previous attempts at permanent Daylight Saving Time after experiencing “absurdly late sunrises in the winter.”
He said Arkansans do not want their children going to school “in the pitch dark” and added, “I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said Cotton was right to oppose permanent Daylight Saving Time, arguing that permanent Standard Time would avoid dark mornings, stay aligned with the sun and eliminate clock changes.
He cited Arizona, which has observed Standard Time year-round since 1968.
Trump Pushes Permanent DST
In August, Trump urged the Senate to pass the Sunshine Protection Act “ASAP,” calling twice-yearly clock changes “foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly.”
He argued that permanent daylight saving time could improve safety, health and economic activity.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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