U.S. President Donald Trump is leading a legislative push to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide and end the twice-yearly clock changes. The proposal, called the Sunshine Protection Act, has sparked organized resistance from the Orthodox Jewish community, which says later winter sunrises would make morning prayer in daylight much harder. Trump is personally pressing lawmakers in Congress, and several senators and House members said they recently received unexpected calls from him about the issue.
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley confirmed Trump called to ask whether he still thought it was a good idea. Hawley replied, “No, it’s an excellent idea!” Trump argues that changing the clocks wastes resources and disrupts children’s sleep, and he says the law would give Americans “a longer, brighter day, and who could be against that? It’s just wonderful!” He also called it “a very nice achievement for the Republican Party.” The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the measure 48 to 1, with Rep. Nanette Barragan, the lone dissenter, warning about health effects from darker mornings.
The Orthodox opposition says a fixed summer schedule in winter would delay sunrise too far. In Detroit, for example, sunrise would come at 9:16 a.m. Because Jewish law requires the morning prayer, Shacharit, to begin at dawn, observant Jews would often have to pray during work hours. Rabbi Zalman Gorbicz of Chabad at West Virginia University said the change would limit employment options for observant Jews.
Aidy Mutzan, who heads Agudath Israel’s Washington operations, is lobbying against the bill and says many lawmakers change their minds once they understand the religious impact and the risk to children going to school in the dark. A similar experiment was tried in the U.S. in 1974, but was quickly abandoned after it became unpopular and synagogues struggled to gather morning prayer quorums before work. Doctors and sleep experts also oppose the current bill, but they want permanent standard time instead, arguing that permanent daylight saving time would harm circadian rhythms and reduce crucial morning light, especially for children, workers, and early risers. Farmers and airlines also prefer the status quo. Sen. Tom Cotton warned farmers could spend “three, four, or even five hours in the morning without seeing the sun,” while airlines fear international scheduling disruptions and costly ticketing system changes. Supporters include Florida lawmakers and leisure industries, especially golf, which expect more evening daylight and economic gains. Despite the committee vote, final approval remains uncertain, and the issue has become a test of Republican loyalty because of Trump’s direct involvement.
