Dem lawmaker wants to hear Trump’s views on how 5G could affect border wall

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) told Hill.TV that she wished President Trump’s State of the Union address last week included talk of 5G and how the technology would affect his proposed border wall.

“It would have been great to hear some of those 21st century concepts, and perhaps even putting the context of the wall in terms that we can embrace around what technology can do in that space,” Clarke told The Hill’s Bob Cusack earlier this month in an interview that aired Monday on Hill.TV’s “Boundless.”

Lawmakers announced Monday night that they had reached an agreement “in principle” on border security, with funding for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The goal of a final deal is to avoid another government shutdown. 

Various lawmakers have floated the idea of a “smart wall,” which would include the use of drones and other surveillance technology along the border, since talks began after the record-long 35-day shutdown ended on Jan. 25.

Trump on Tuesday indicated he was not pleased with the agreement from Monday night.

Clarke said there could be bipartisan support for the expansion of 5G technology in the U.S.

“Maybe not in substance, but in truth, there will be some unity because it’s important, particularly when we talk about 5G and all of the work that needs to be done, that is a unifying force,” she said.

“It would have been great to hear from him some of his ideas around how we become leaders in the expansion of 5G, and what that means in terms of industry, and unleashing innovation in our nation,” she added.

“[He talked] briefly about jobs and manufacturing, but when you think about it, we’re in a whole new rubrics in terms of manufacturing, whether that’s 3D printing or other means, and the internet of things,” she said. 

“Boundless” is a multi-part series focused on advancements in 5G.

— Julia Manchester