Congress reasserts control over diversity visa program from executive branch
H.R. 9457 — Diversity Visa Protection and Modernization Act · Filed by Yvette Clarke (D-NY) · 29 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 25, 2026 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill prevents the executive branch from suspending the entire Diversity Visa Program without congressional approval. It allows targeted, country-specific restrictions and emergency pauses up to 60 days, but requires the State Department or DHS to notify Congress within 7 days, explain the threat, and publish details in the Federal Register. Anyone already selected for a diversity visa cannot lose eligibility due to a suspension.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to reassert congressional control over the Diversity Visa Program and prevent indefinite executive suspension, while preserving targeted security measures and emergency flexibility.
What the text implies
- The 60-day automatic-resumption provision may create pressure on the executive branch to act within that window or face program restart, potentially affecting how emergency restrictions are timed.
- Requiring public Federal Register disclosure of suspension rationales (except classified annexes) may limit the executive's ability to keep certain security concerns confidential, potentially affecting diplomatic or intelligence operations.
- The bill does not specify what happens if the executive ignores the prohibition—no enforcement mechanism, penalty, or judicial remedy is defined, leaving the practical enforceability unclear.
Who it affects
The bill protects ordinary people already selected for diversity visas from losing their opportunity due to broad executive action, and restores congressional oversight over a congressionally created program. It preserves a lawful immigration pathway while maintaining security screening and allowing targeted restrictions.
Named in the bill
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, Section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security, House Committee on the Judiciary, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Federal Register
Where it stands
29 cosponsors: 29 Democrats.
- Jun 25, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jun 25, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the full bill text on Jul 5, 2026; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress reasserts control over diversity visa program from executive branch” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr9457 Report an error
The week in bills
One email, Sunday: what Congress passed, what it changed, and who paid.
One link arrives to confirm the address. It is used for this email and nothing else, and every issue carries an unsubscribe link.