By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s months-long push to prod lawmakers to end the twice yearly practice of changing the clocks — including posting the phone number of a US senator this month — has run out of time this year.
The United States will return to standard time on Sunday at 2 a.m. ET and it will continue until March 14, despite Trump’s repeated efforts to convince the Senate to follow the US House and make daylight saving time permanent year round.
Earlier this month, Trump shared the phone number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who has been a strong critic of making daylight saving time permanent, in a push to get him to support the bill. He called dozens of other senators seeking their support.
“The United States Senate is letting the Daylight Saving Time bill die,” Trump wrote this week on social media, again urging action.
The US House of Representatives in July voted 308-117 to end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks observed across most of the nation since the 1960s.
Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Politico there is no consensus and “no clear path forward.” Congressional aides say there is likely not enough time remaining to take up the issue when the Senate returns for a brief post-election session.
Critics note the change would mean the sun rises an hour later on winter mornings, leaving more children traveling to school and commuters, construction workers, farmers and others heading to work before daylight. In some places, the sun would not rise until nearly 9 a.m. or later at the height of winter.
Supporters say changing the clocks disrupts sleep, increases workplace injuries and contributes to more road accidents. They argue keeping clocks an hour ahead year-round would provide more evening daylight and boost economic activity during the winter months.
If enacted, clocks would no longer return to standard time in 2027, although states could opt out of year-round daylight saving time if they do not currently observe it or voted to adopt permanent standard time before the law was changed.
The US used year-round daylight saving time during World War Two and enacted it again in 1974 to reduce energy use. But it proved deeply unpopular and Congress repealed it later that year.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
