Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says he favors an amendment to the Constitution that protects human life and will ban abortions on a nationwide scale. His comments follow those of GOP hopeful Fred Thompson who said Sunday he opposes an amendment but wants Roe v. Wade overturned.

Thompson told a television news program that he doesn't favor an amendment because he thinks states should be free to pass their own laws legalizing or prohibiting abortions.

That's a view the pro-life movement has long had, but Huckabee, in a statement LifeNews.com obtained from his campaign, said he would go further.

"I've always supported the passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life," Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, said. "As President, I will fight for passage of a human life amendment."

"My position on the sanctity of life has always been clear and consistent," Huckabee added. "No candidate has a stronger record on the sanctity of life than I do."

Huckabee said that when he served as governor, he pushed for a similar amendment on the state level.

"As Governor of Arkansas, I successfully led efforts to promote a human life amendment and marriage amendment in my state. For me, it isn't just talk; it's a conservative record of leadership and conviction," he concluded.