With roughly 22 million Americans now out of work due to the coronavirus, having enough money to cover bills and buy essentials is a real concern for many. Those attempting to stretch their budgets this month may wind up overdrawing their account and paying hefty fees.

Former presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) want to help Americans avoid these unnecessary fees. Although federal regulators have encouraged banks to waive overdraft fees during the current health crisis, the two senators sent letters to 15 banks on Friday, urging them to stop charging overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees while the coronavirus pandemic has so much of the country shut down and millions of Americans are out of work.

Banks typically charge overdraft fees when you overdraw your checking account. Instead of having your debit card declined or the purchase canceled, your bank will cover the difference and charge you an overdraft fee, usually about $30 to $35. The similar "non-sufficient fund fee," is usually levied when a check bounces in any transaction, including with any recurring bills customers may have.

"We must give workers and hardworking Americans the tools they need to rebuild and recover after this crisis," Brown said in a statement to CNBC Make It. "That includes making sure they can keep their money in their own pockets and out of the hands of banks to cover fees and small overdraft amounts."

Booker and Brown sent letters to Ameris Bank, Bank of America, BankPlus, Citi, HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Ocean Bank, PNC Bank, Regions Bank, TD Bank, Truist Bank (BB&T and SunTrust), U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and Woodforest National Bank — all of which are either among the top 10 banks in the U.S. that earn the most from overdraft fees, or a bank with over $2 billion in assets that takes in the most overdraft and non-sufficient-funds revenue per account.

In the letter to Chase, for example, the two Congressmen wrote:

"...Banks should be ensuring that consumers will not be faced with any overdraft charges that compounds their already fragile financial state, and provide them some relief as they manage ongoing expenses, including rent and mortgage payments, utility bills, and other essentials."

The banks involved have not yet responded to CNBC Make It's requests for comment on Friday.

The letters to banks come on the heels of a bill Booker and Brown introduced last month that would bar banks, credit unions and other financial institutions from charging overdraft fees until the coronavirus crisis is over. While the two lawmakers pushed for the overdraft protection to be included in the $2 trillion federal relief package that was passed, it remains a standalone bill.