Rep. Jim Himes (D., Conn.) on Friday declared opposition to a hypothetical ban on all semi-automatic rifles after the idea was applauded at a CNN town hall earlier this week.
"Do you think there should be a ban on every semi-automatic rifle sold in America? Yes or no?" CNN's Pamela Brown asked Himes.
"No, I don't believe there should be a ban on every semi-automatic rifle sold in America," Himes said.
The question of a sweeping ban on all semi-automatic rifles arose after CNN's Wednesday town hall held in the wake of the Parkland, Fla. mass shooting. During the town hall, Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) argued that when you start looking at banning particular so-called assault weapons, it becomes clear you would have to ban every semi-automatic weapon.
That hypothetical drew unintended applause from the audience.
"That is a valid position to hold, but my colleagues do not support banning every semiautomatic rifle sold in America," Rubio said, gesturing to his Democratic colleagues.
While Himes disagreed with the ban, he did criticize weapons with a high firing capacity.
"What I care about and what's important and what really matters here: I just don't want weaponry with the ability to fire 30 rounds in 45 seconds," Himes said.
"That's the kind of weapon that the police fear, as we saw down in Florida, and the kind of weapon that can wreak that kind havoc that we only want to see wreaked in war," Himes continued.
On the same show the previous day, Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee (Mich.) also said he opposes a ban on all semi-automatic rifles, but he defended the applause, saying it "gives a sense of how frustrated people are."