U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined more than a dozen colleagues in urging Senate leaders to provide funding for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in the fourth COVID-19 relief package.

“If Congress fails to increase this funding, lawmakers warn that USPS services may be reduced or limited leaving millions of American families without the ability to receive medicine, pay bills, receive their social security benefits and remain in contact with loved ones,” a news release from the senator’s office said.

New York State has one of the highest employment rates of letter carriers in the nation, Gillibrand’s office said.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, New York alone has over 22,000 USPS letter carriers delivering people essential needs such as medicine prescriptions, social security benefits, and bill payments.

Additionally, USPS services play a necessary role in containing the COVID-19 outbreak and protecting people across the state who may otherwise be forced to put themselves at greater risk of contracting this potentially fatal disease. In the letter, Senator Gillibrand urges Congress to increase funding, reimburse the USPS for lost revenue, and forgive USPS debt.

“The United States Postal Service employs thousands of New Yorkers and plays a vital role in our daily lives,” Gillibrand said in a prepared statement. “The loss of these services would devastate rural communities, as well as the health and safety of Americans. I’m thankful for these hardworking people who are putting their lives on the line in the middle of this pandemic to keep Americans connected. I am proud to fight for them so they can continue to deliver mail and help keep our communities safe.”