President Donald Trump has opened a new front in his ongoing effort to reshape federal policy, this time targeting Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas over Cottons refusal to allow a vote on legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
As reported by Gateway Pundit, Trump is pressing the Senate to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, a bipartisan measure that would lock the clock and end the twice-yearly ritual of changing time, and he is making Cotton the public face of the opposition. The House approved the Trump-backed bill in July by a commanding 308117 margin, a rare show of cross-party agreement in a deeply divided Congress.
Cotton, however, has emerged as a key obstacle in the upper chamber, objecting over concerns that permanent daylight saving time would push sunrise later into the morning, particularly in winter months. He has reportedly vowed to block the measure if it reaches the Senate floor, using the chambers rules that allow a single senator to stall broadly supported legislation.
Trump, who has long understood the power of public pressure, unleashed a blistering late-night post on Friday aimed squarely at the Arkansas senator. Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill. Its called, The Sunshine Protection Act or, We Dont Want to Change Our Clocks Twice a Year Act. For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, its very easy to do, it only takes one! Trump wrote, adding pointedly, Almost everybody wants The Sunshine Protection Act to pass, except for Tom Cotton.
In a move that underscored both his frustration and his flair for political theater, Trump went further by publicly sharing what he said was Cottons cellphone number and urging citizens to call. To the Great People of Arkansas, please let your Senator know it would be a GREAT Bipartisan WIN for the United States Senate, and for America, itself. Call Tom on his cellphone at, 479-453-0533, and let him know. The Sunshine Protection Act was passed in the House by a Vote of 308 to 117. HAVE THE SENATE VOTE, NOW! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP, he declared.
Trump framed the issue as a matter of common sense and everyday convenience, arguing that Washingtons refusal to act is out of step with the public. Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill. Its called, The Sunshine Protection Act or, We Dont Want to Change Our Clocks Twice a Year Act. For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, its very easy to do, it only takes one! It should pass overwhelmingly, in a Bipartisan fashion. So, everyone in Arkansas, a State I love, and won 3 times, the last by by 34 points, tell Tom to, GET IT DONE! he wrote, emphasizing his strong political standing in the state.
He cast the twice-yearly clock change as a needless burden imposed by government inertia, one that disrupts families and businesses alike. It will be appreciated by all. Nobody wants to spend their precious time running all over the place, turning Clocks back twice a year and, having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning! The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments. Likewise, regular Golfers, Tennis Players, Hunters and, perhaps most importantly, Farmers who want more Daylight to play or work, Trump argued, tying the issue to both leisure and labor.
To bolster his case, Trump released a letter from Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA Tour, who laid out the economic and practical benefits of permanent daylight saving time. Rolapp expressed the Tours strong support for the Sunshine Protection Act and stressed that Permanent daylight saving time (DST) would expand access to golf at a time when the game is more popular than ever, noting that An extra hour of evening light sounds simple, but for everyday Americans, it can be the difference between getting on the course and not.
Rolapp cited industry data to underscore the stakes for a major segment of the private economy that thrives on late-afternoon daylight. The data backs this up. The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) estimates that permanent DST would generate 23 million additional rounds per year and $1 billion annually in new direct revenue for the golf industry an average of $250,000 per facility, he wrote, adding that The benefits of permanent DST extend to professional golf as well. At the PGA Tour, usable afternoon daylight in the fall and winter would give our broadcast partners flexibility to extend live coverage of finishing holes, avoid awkward lighting situations in late rounds, and deliver a better overall product for the millions of fans who tune in each week.
Trump seized on those points to argue that the reform is not merely about convenience but about economic growth and quality of life. See letter from Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA TOUR below. 65% PLUS want more sun in the afternoon, Daylight Saving Time (The way it is now!), but 100% dont want to change their Clocks twice a year. They want to, as they say, LOCK THE CLOCK! Who doesnt? Its very expensive for our Nation where you have high and dangerous steeples to reach, like on churches and municipal buildings. Almost everybody wants The Sunshine Protection Act to pass, except for Tom Cotton, he wrote, portraying Cotton as isolated from both public opinion and practical realities.
From a conservative standpoint, the Sunshine Protection Act aligns with a philosophy of limiting needless government interference in daily life while supporting private enterprise and personal freedom. Trumps push highlights how a simple reformending disruptive clock changes and preserving more afternoon daylightcould benefit workers, families, sportsmen, and businesses without expanding bureaucracy or federal spending, leaving Senator Cotton increasingly alone in defending a status quo that many Americans, and many conservatives, appear ready to abandon.
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