Washington (CNN) Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich said the deadly school shooting on Wednesday should be a rallying moment for the nation on guns, but he predicted Congress would not live up to the task, and suggested the President should take the lead.

"Do I think they can do anything on guns? I hope they prove me wrong and they can because I have no confidence in them," Kasich said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

"We need leadership out of the executive," he said. "This is a great opportunity for common sense steps that can be taken. ... Mr. President, I ask you to do this. You don't have to boil the ocean, but take some steps now."

Kasich said he thought it was possible to push for some measures at the state and local level, like background checks and increased attention to mental illness, while Washington would not move from the status quo.

"I'm not calling for some outright ban," Kasich said. "I'm talking about small steps that can be taken that can be effective, and the Congress ought to do it. I just don't -- I don't have any confidence in them. I don't think most Americans do."

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