Confirmed cases of COVID-19 among members of the United States Congress have exploded in recent weeks. Much like they've surged throughout the country as a whole. The novel Coronavirus has hit Republicans and Democrats alike, in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

On November 17, Senator Chuck Grassley announced he'd tested positive. Grassley, president pro tempore of the Senate, is the highest-ranking Congress member so far to confirm a COVID-19 diagnosis. He wasn't the only one to announce a diagnosis that day. And the beat went on the next day.

U.S. Representatives Newhouse, Lamborn announces positive test results

According to The Hill, on November 17, Dan Newhouse received word that he'd tested positive for COVID-19. He announced it the following day. Newhouse said he'd begun to feel 'run down,' prompting him to be tested.

Newhouse says he's following CDC guidelines. He's gone into quarantine and intends to work from home. However, he was just voting on the House floor the day before his positive test result. Along with other members of Congress.

Another U.S. representative in Doug Lamborn also announced on November 18. He, too, had tested positive for COVID-19. It's not clear when he learned this, reports The Gazette. A spokesperson just elaborated that it was 'recently.'

It's also not necessarily clear if Lamborn had interacted with Newhouse in the days before.

Or any other members of Congress who've tested positive, of which there are many.

Newhouse and Lamborn are both Republicans, although from different wings of the party. Newhouse is often considered to be moderate. Lamborn has tended to be more conservative. Both won re-election earlier this month by wide margins.

Both were previously state legislators

Dan Newhouse was first elected to Congress in 2014. He represents the 4th District of Washington, found in the state's central region. His predecessor was Doc Hastings, a fellow Republican. A long-time U.S. representative, Hastings had chaired the House Ethics and Natural Resources committees before retiring.

Newhouse had previously been the director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. He served under Democratic Governors Christine Gregoire and Jay Inslee. Newhouse also served in the Washington House of Representatives. His father, Irv, was a state representative and state senator.

Doug Lamborn first won his seat in 2006. He represents the 5th District of Colorado, which includes Colorado Springs. Lamborn was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate. He became the Republican whip in the House and the Senate's president pro-tem.

Lamborn was the second member of Colorado's Congressional delegation to announce a COVID-19 diagnosis in as many days. Following Democratic U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter.
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