May 26, 2026
Twice a year, most Americans reset their clocks to adjust for daylight saving time (DST). And according to President Trump, that ritual is costing far more than just an hour of sleep.
On May 21, Trump took to Truth Social to praise a major legislative step toward making daylight saving time permanent. The House Energy and Commerce Committee had just voted 48-1 to advance the Sunshine Protection Act as part of a broader transportation funding package called the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act.
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“This is so important in that hundreds of millions of dollars are spent every year by people, cities and states, being forced to change their clocks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Many of these clocks are located in towers, and the cost of renting, or using, heavy equipment to do this twice a year is prohibitive!”
Trump pledged to push hard to see the bill signed into law, calling it “an easy one” and a political win. “It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production,” he added.
What the research shows
The president’s framing centers on the logistical cost of changing clocks, but economists say the real price tag with DST is rooted in something harder to see on a clock tower: public health.
An analysis by independent economic research firm Chmura Economics & Analytics estimated the total annual economic cost of DST at $672 million across U.S. metropolitan areas.
That figure accounts for the documented spike in heart attacks, strokes, workplace injuries and traffic fatalities that consistently follows the springtime shift — along with the lost wages, medical costs and productivity drag.
The methodology draws on peer-reviewed studies, including data from the American Heart Association showing heart attack rates rise roughly 5% in the first week after the spring shift, with traffic accident research showing a 6% increase in fatal crashes the day following the time change.
And according to PBS News, which cited research from RAND, chronic sleep disruption — of which the DST shift is a documented trigger — costs the U.S. economy an estimated $411 billion annually in lost productivity and healthcare.
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That same PBS article also noted that studies have found permanent standard time could prevent up to 1,300 traffic deaths and up to 5,000 suicides annually.
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The bill’s prospects and the debate it skips
The Sunshine Protection Act would lock most states to daylight saving time year-round — the schedule currently observed from March through November, which is known as permanent DST. Hawaii and most of Arizona, which already observe permanent standard time, would remain exempt under the legislation.
As Rep. Buchanan shared in a statement, “permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity.” And the bill has cleared at least one chamber before: a prior version passed the Senate unanimously in March 2022 before stalling in the House without a vote.
But there’s a catch that supporters tend to gloss over: the health and safety argument cuts the other way, as the same research that condemns clock-switching also warns against permanent daylight saving time specifically.
As PBS News reported, the U.S. tried permanent DST in 1974 and Congress repealed it within nine months due to public backlash, safety concerns and the effect of dark winter mornings. Russia and the United Kingdom had similar experiences.
Dozens of major health organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the National Safety Council, have formally endorsed permanent standard time over permanent DST. Standard time follows the body’s natural circadian rhythm more closely, since human biology is primarily regulated by morning light exposure — something permanent DST reduces in the winter months.
That distinction matters for American wallets and well-being alike. If lawmakers ultimately lock the clocks, the direction they choose will determine whether the country captures the projected savings or trades one set of costs for another.
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With a writing and editing career spanning over 15 years, Emma creates and refines content across a broad spectrum of industries, including personal finance, lifestyle, travel, health & wellness, real estate, beauty & fitness and B2B/SaaS/tech.
