Story highlights Kelly was expressing his view about what could eventually happen, the source said

The DHS secretary "gently planted a seed in the minds of everyone in the room"

(CNN) A congressional aide who was in the room when Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly briefed lawmakers tells CNN the ban on electronics on certain US-bound flights from the Middle East and North Africa could expand not just to Europe, as is being discussed, but also to flights departing from the US to overseas.

Kelly did not indicate any new threats or intelligence to warrant the expansion, but "gently planted a seed in the minds of everyone in the room that we should start preparing for and thinking through" the scenario that the electronics ban could come to US soil, the aide said.

That means any electronic device larger than a cell phone would not be allowed on flights leaving the US, not just certain inbound US flights, as is currently the case. While Kelly didn't say it outright, "we could read between the lines," the aide said.

A US official familiar with Kelly's comments to Congress said the secretary was expressing his view of what could happen if terror groups continue to innovate and emphasized that a decision hasn't been made yet about flights leaving the US.

The congressional aide said Congress is now starting to consider the possibility of the electronics ban being expanded to US soil.

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