Daylight Saving Bill Stalls as Clocks Fall Back Nov 1

The daylight saving bill that would end America’s twice-a-year clock changes has stalled in the Senate, making it virtually certain that clocks will still fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026, according to Reuters. The deadlock comes despite an aggressive public push by President Donald Trump, who escalated the fight this month by posting online a phone number he said belonged to a Republican senator blocking the measure.

Under current law, daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on November 1, when most of the country moves clocks back one hour to standard time, gaining an extra hour of sleep but losing evening daylight. Daylight saving time would return on March 14, 2027, according to Geo TV’s explainer on the change.

Daylight Saving Bill: Passed the House, Stuck in the Senate

The daylight saving bill, formally the Sunshine Protection Act, passed the House of Representatives on July 14 by a bipartisan 308-117 vote, with 193 Republicans and 114 Democrats in support, Matzav reported. The bill would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the spring and autumn clock changes observed across most of the country since the 1960s, according to Reuters.

In the Senate, however, Majority Leader John Thune has expressed serious doubts the bill can attract the 60 votes needed to advance, Matzav reported. Timing has compounded the problem: the Senate has adjourned ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, holding only pro forma sessions, and senators are not expected back on a regular schedule until the week of November 9 — more than a week after clocks change, according to Reuters and Matzav.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana described the push as “dead as disco” in comments to Reuters, while key sponsor Senator Rick Scott told Reuters he remained confident it could pass when lawmakers return.

• Clocks fall back: 2 a.m., Sunday, November 1, 2026
• House vote: 308-117 in favor, July 14
• Senate status: stalled; no vote scheduled before midterms
• Key opponent: Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas
• Next regular Senate session: week of November 9

Trump’s Public Feud With Senator Cotton

Trump has pressed the issue repeatedly on social media. On October 2, he urged Senate Republicans to pass the bill, calling the twice-yearly change ridiculous, USA Today reported. The next day, he posted a number he said belonged to Senator Tom Cotton and urged people to call it, Reuters reported. When Reuters called the Arkansas number, it reached a voicemail box that did not identify itself as Cotton’s.

Cotton, who chairs the Senate Republican Conference, has long opposed permanent daylight saving time. In a Senate floor speech, he argued it would make winter darker and more dismal for millions of Americans and push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour, USA Today reported. Cotton’s office referred reporters back to that speech, and the senator posted that he will always put Arkansas first, according to USA Today.

Why the Clock Change Is So Hard to End

The debate splits along geography and lifestyle. Supporters of permanent daylight saving time, including golf and tourism interests, argue that later evening sun boosts outdoor activity and business, and that ending clock changes reduces sleep disruption, workplace injuries and road accidents, The Print summarized. The White House has cited claims that permanent daylight time could prevent traffic deaths and reduce robberies, according to Project Patriot’s summary of the bill’s progress.

Opponents counter that in northern states, winter sunrises would not arrive until after 9 a.m., leaving children waiting for school buses in the dark, Reuters reported. Critics also point to history: a 1974 experiment with year-round daylight saving time during an energy crisis collapsed in public support after dark winter mornings contributed to early-morning accidents, and Congress ended it early, Geo TV noted.

The Arizona and Hawaii Exception

Two states already skip the ritual: Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time and stay on standard time year-round. The Sunshine Protection Act would not force those states onto daylight time, and it includes a mechanism for states to choose permanent standard time instead, Matzav reported.

What Happens Next

For now, Americans should plan on the November 1 fall-back as usual: phones and connected devices will update automatically, while manual clocks, appliances and older vehicles need to be changed by hand, Geo TV noted. Whether the daylight saving bill revives after the midterms — when the Senate returns the week of November 9 — depends on whether supporters can find 60 votes and overcome opposition from Cotton and others. If it ever becomes law, clocks would no longer return to standard time, and the November ritual would end for most of the country.