WASHINGTON--Mayor Rahm Emanuel embraced President Barack Obama's gun proposals on Wednesday--even though, as chief of staff to the president early in the first term he urged putting the contentious matter on a back burner. Emanuel will be in Washington on Saturday for a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting--where curbing gun violence is a top issue.

On Monday, Emanuel was here for a gun panel at the Center for American Progress where he said Chicago pension funds should divest from any gun-related assets.

On the Obama package Emanuel said in a statement, "The President has proposed a thoughtful, comprehensive approach to gun-safety rules, and these are exactly the common sense laws that we need as a city and a nation to help prevent the gun violence that too often plagues our communities. People throughout the country are supportive of common sense laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and give law enforcement officials the tools they need to protect our children, our families and our neighborhoods."