U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is circulating an online petition urging the National Rifle Association to "make their voice a part of the solution" to prevent future mass killings like the one last week in Newtown, Connecticut.
The Missouri Democrat said in a news release Thursday the right to own guns isn't the issue. She says what's needed are "common sense laws that respect that right, but prevent the mass slaughter of innocent Americans." The NRA has promised to offer "meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again."
Missouri's other senator, Republican Roy Blunt, said in statement today that mental health programs need fixing, but he doesn't believe a "weapons ban will solve this problem."