Persuading Congress to ban assault weapons will be tough, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday.
But it's a fight the outspoken advocate of stricter gun laws says he's determined to win.
"Getting rid of assault weapons, that is a tougher sell, and that's what we've really got to work on," Bloomberg said in an interview with CNN's AC360°. "I'm optimistic, but it's tougher."
Bloomberg said he's encouraging the roughly 800 mayors who are members of his Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization to start lobbying lawmakers and "explain to them why constituents really want this done."
Speaking a day after President Barack Obama announced a list of proposals to reduce gun violence, Bloomberg said the package - which calls on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, restrict ammunition magazines and expand background checks for gun buyers - is "reasonably comprehensive."
