Republican and Democratic lawmakers have criticized Iowa GOP Rep. Steve King for comments in which he said that rape and incest were necessary for population growth.

"What if it was okay and what if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest," King said Wednesday.

"Would there be any population in the world left if we did that?"

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney described King's remarks on Twitter as "appalling and bizarre" and called for him to resign.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called for King's resignation in a tweet.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

High-profile Republicans and Democrats have criticized GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa for incendiary remarks about rape and incest he made at a conservative club event.

On Wednesday, at an event at Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale, Iowa, King discussed why he believed abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape or incest.

"We know the reasons why we don't except exceptions, for most of us, for rape and incest, because it's not the baby's fault," King said.

Read more: Rep. Steve King questioned whether there would be 'any population left' without pregnancies from rape and incest

"But there's another, I sort of wonder about this. What if it was okay and what if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest. Would there be any population in the world left if we did that?"

"Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that's taken place," the congressman continued. "I know I can't certify that I'm not part of a product of that, and I'd like to think any one of the lives of us are as precious as any other life."

It's not just Democrats that are criticising King's comments, but leaders from his own party.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney described King's remarks on Twitter as "appalling and bizarre."

"As I've said before, it's time for him to go. The people of Iowa's 4th congressional district deserve better," she wrote.

Earlier in the year, King was stripped of his duties on congressional committees after comments defending white nationalism, saying in a New York Times interview: "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?"

Read more: Republicans swoop in to do damage control, stripping Rep. Steve King of House committee assignments after 'white supremacy' remark

"These comments are wrong, and offensive, and underscore why we removed him from his committees," Republican House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said

In an interview with CNN, former Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Charlie Dent said "these remarks are just so outlandish, they're out of bounds, out of control. I mean, you wonder if he's out of his mind."

Two Democratic presidential contenders called for King's resignation.

"Rep. Steve King should resign. His comments on rape and incest have no place in Congress and fuel a corrosive culture in this country around sexual assault," former vice president Joe Biden tweeted.

"We deserve better from our elected officials."

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was more blunt, tweeting at King: "You are a disgrace. Resign."