Mayor Michael Bloomberg commended President Barack Obama's gun control proposals Wednesday, saying rising public support could help get them passed.

Bloomberg says the White House-backed plan includes common sense steps to tackle gun violence.

He says the battle now turns to Congress to help turn those proposals into meaningful legislation.

"I just think that we have an opportunity right now, and it was well expressed by the president, to explain what's going on, the carnage that takes place every day across our country, and what we can do without trampling on anybody's rights, to end that," Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg says he'll speak out for gun reform when he attends the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington on Friday.

Many of the mayors slated to attend are also members of the coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.