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Why Tom Cotton is a major obstacle to daylight saving time
The bill’s biggest challenge lies in the Senate, where individual lawmakers wield significant influence over what reaches the floor. Similar legislation cleared the Senate unanimously in 2022 after advancing by unanimous consent, but it later stalled in the House amid growing concerns from sleep experts and lawmakers representing northern states.
Cotton said he made a “mistake” by not personally objecting to the legislation in 2022. In a speech delivered in October 2025, Cotton explained he had thought another lawmaker would voice opposition, but a miscommunication led to the bill’s passage. The Arkansas Republican has vowed not to make the same mistake again.
Cotton’s opposition reflects a broader debate over whether the country should adopt the change. Medical organizations, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have generally favored permanent standard time, arguing it better aligns with the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Supporters of permanent daylight saving time counter that later evening sunlight encourages outdoor activity, boosts commerce, and eliminates the disruptions caused by changing the clocks twice each year.
History also looms over the debate.
Congress briefly placed the nation on year-round daylight saving time during the 1973 energy crisis, hoping longer evening daylight would conserve fuel. The experiment quickly became unpopular as winter sunrises in many parts of the country slipped past 8 a.m., leaving children waiting for school buses in darkness. After months of public backlash, Congress repealed the policy in 1974 and returned to seasonal clock changes.
OPINION: TIME TO MOVE ON FROM THE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME OBSESSION
Cotton referenced the 1970’s debacle in the speech delivered last year, asking, “Why should we repeat history?”
The history of Congress’s attempt to enact the change, paired with Cotton showing he plans to stand in opposition, could again make it difficult for supporters to secure enough momentum in the Senate to send the legislation to the Oval Office.