US President Donald Trump says "serious discussions" are taking place between congressional leaders on "meaningful" background checks for gun owners following two mass shootings.
US President Donald Trump has repeated his call that "mentally ill" people should not be able to access guns. Photo: AFP
On Twitter, Mr Trump also said he had spoken to the gun lobby group National Rifle Association (NRA) so their views can be "represented and respected".
The NRA opposes extensive checks.
Democrats want the Senate to be recalled from recess to enact immediate legislation on gun control.
Mr Trump - who did not specify which steps he would support - weighed in after days of disagreement on how the US should respond to its latest mass shootings.
As he prepared to leave the White House on a trip to New York, he said: "Frankly, we need intelligent background checks. This isn't a question of NRA, Republican, or Democrat."
But he singled out mental health issues, saying: "We don't want people who are mentally ill, people who are sick - we don't want them having guns."
Mr Trump earlier tweeted that he was "the biggest second amendment person there is" - referring to the part of the US constitution which grants the right to bear arms - but that "common sense things can be done that are good for everyone!"
There have been more than 250 mass shootings in the US this year. Last weekend, mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, left more than 30 people dead.
Late on Thursday, US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell rejected recalling senators from their August recess. He said the issue would instead be "front and centre" when the Senate reconvenes in September.
Mr McConnell said that calling the Senate back immediately would only result in "political point scoring" and he instead wanted to start discussions during the August break to come back with a coherent plan in September.
Mr McConnell seemed to have shifted his tone after speaking with the president, saying that failing to take action would be "unacceptable".
"We've seen entirely too many of these outrageous acts by these mentally deranged people," he said.
Many gun control advocates believe that the ease with which high-powered firearms can be bought is more important than mental health issues.
Some Democrats expressed doubt that the rhetoric would result in meaningful change.
Representative Elijah Cummings said: "We really need to be careful when listening to politicians talk about what they're going to do," to some light laughter at a National Press Club event.
But striking a serious tone, he added: "You have a lot of talk… but in the end, nothing happens."
- BBC