Trump turns up pressure over permanent daylight saving bill
The House has passed the Sunshine Protection Act, but the Senate has no vote scheduled before the November midterm elections.
US President Donald Trump has urged Senate Republicans to pass legislation making daylight saving time permanent, accusing Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton of holding up the Sunshine Protection Act.
In social media posts on Saturday, Trump called for the bill to pass on a bipartisan basis and urged Arkansas residents to contact Cotton. He also shared a phone number he claimed belonged to the senator. Al Jazeera reported that a call to the number reached a full voicemail box; it did not independently verify who owned it.
The bill passed the House in July by 308 votes to 117. Senators have left Washington with no set plans to return before the November 3 midterm elections, and no vote is scheduled. Senator John Kennedy said he did not expect Senate Republican Leader John Thune to bring the measure forward before polling day.
Cotton opposed the bill in a Senate speech last year, saying it would leave farmers, construction workers, commuters and schoolchildren starting their days in darkness during winter. Trump has argued that permanent daylight saving would provide more afternoon light, citing support from PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp.
Congress adopted year-round daylight saving time in 1974 during an energy crisis, but repealed the law less than a year later amid safety concerns over children travelling to school before sunrise.
