According to the Washington Post, the House Appropriations Committee voted last week to block the border-security contract between Accenture LLP and the Homeland Security Department for facilitating US-VISIT because Accenture is located outside the United States.

The committee voted 35-16 in favor of a budget amendment that would prohibit contracts between the Homeland Security Department and corporations based abroad.  Additionally, the amendment would prevent an overseas company already under a government contract from receiving additional ones.  Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) sponsored the amendment, according to the Post, on the grounds that Bermuda-based Accenture would be exempt from paying the majority of its taxes to the United States.

US-VISIT is intended to record the entry and exit of non-United States citizens and verify the identity of incoming visitors through the use of digital-finger scans and digital photos taken at ports of entry and check entrants’ visa and immigration status.

The Accenture contract is set to last five years and has five additional one-year options.  It is worth up to $10 billion.  Accenture executives told the Post that they understand it is early in the legislative process and they plan on watching all developments closely.