National pro-life groups are voicing their support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, praising his commitment to the dignity of human life.

"Let me state clearly and emphatically, Mitt Romney is pro-life," said Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee.

In an April 12 statement, Tobias announced her organization's endorsement of Romney for president of the United States.

She called for "pro-life Americans to unite behind Mitt Romney" as the nation turns its attention to the general election.

When his top competitor Rick Santorum announced that he was suspending his campaign on April 10, Romney became the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

Pro-life groups showed their support by rallying around the former Massachusetts governor and making their confidence in him clear.

Romney's pro-life credentials have been questioned during the campaign due to his prior support of abortion. His critics remain skeptical of his claims that he experienced a conversion on the issue of life in 2004.

According to Romney, being confronted with the issue of embryonic stem cell research led to the realization that it was wrong to create a human life in order to destroy it. He says that this experience sparked a conversion, which led to the pro-life views that he holds today.

His supporters point to his record since that time, saying that he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to life, even when doing so was politically unpopular, in a state where Democrats controlled 85 percent of the legislature.

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney vetoed a bill that would have allowed the morning-after pill to be sold over-the-counter, as well as legislation to support embryonic stem-cell research.

In addition, he supported abstinence education in schools.

Romney has vowed that he would take numerous pro-life measures as president, including working to defund abortion giant Planned Parenthood and reinstating the Mexico City Policy to prevent taxpayer funding of organizations that promote or lobby for abortions overseas.

He has also voiced support for the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortion in Medicaid programs, and called for the repeal of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion throughout the country.

"On pro-life issues, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama provide a stark contrast," said Tobias, highlighting President Obama's record of support for abortion, both at home and overseas, as well as embryo-destroying stem cell research.

"For the sake of unborn children, the disabled, and the elderly, we must win," she said.

The Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life organization dedicated to promoting pro-life women in politics, also endorsed Romney on April 12.