And Illinois and Indiana are in the middle of the unending controversy.
A commercial has started running in 13 states including Indiana.
It is part of $12 million in televison ad time bought by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to pressure senators from those states into backing federal gun control legislation.
When Congress comes back from its spring break, it will take up a bill that calls for expanded background checks, tougher sentences for gun trafficking and more funding for school safety.
However, the legislation would not ban assault-style weapons even though the White House still wants lawmakers to vote on that issue.
"Are they willing to demonstrate the political courage to take the kind of step that we know would have a significant impact on getting military style weapons off the streets of communities all across America?" White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
The campaign for background checks is backed by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group the includes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a dozen other Illinois mayors.
According to the group's own research, Illinois is among the worst states when it comes a gun buyer background checks using an incomplete database that fails to block gun sales to some buyers with mental problems.
On Thursday the Mayors Against Illegal Guns group will participate in 100 events across the country, asking for what they call common sense gun laws.
One of the rallies will be in Gary, Indiana as Indiana continues to be a state whose U.S. senators are being targeted by the Bloomberg televison ads.
