ms. collins think you for joining us. >> thanks for having me. about the fund, what is it as far as the thing you do when it comes to health care? >> we are a nonprofit nonpartisan foundation, we support independent research on health care issues and promote better access and improve call -- quality and efficiency and health care. >> so we invited you on to talk about issues in the senate when it comes to health care. before that6 million people. we have seen an uptick in the number of uninsured and it is a significant downward trend. it's on a path for universal coverage. that we are down -- this is a new low and new high in coverage for people over six billion people have coverage since 2019. this is including more than 5 million -- women and children that we have seen an uptick in the number of those insured after 2016. and this is a significant downward trend -- that is cut back on a path. and universal coverage but we are down significantly from the peak of 33 million uninsured in 2019. and, the insured occurred among people with low and mod

ms. collins: madam president. the presiding officer: the senior senator from maine. ms. collins: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the following senators be permitted to speak prior to the scheduled votes -- senator collins for up to ten minutes, senator graham for up to five minutes, senator blunt for up to five minutes, senator romney up to five minutes, senator risch up to five minutes, senator paul up to ten minutes, senator sullivan for up to a minute, and senator menendez for up to ten minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. collins: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that heidi zizzleman, a fellow in my office, be granted floor privileges through august 4, 2022. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. collins: thank you, madam president. madam president, i rise in strong support of the accession of finland and sweden into the nato alliance. in may, i visited helsinki and stockholm as part of the senate delegation to encourage the finnish and swedish efforts to join the alliance. our trip, however, started in ukraine. there, af

ms. collins, things for joining us. guest: thank you for having me.t: a little bit about the commonwealth fund, what is it as far as the things you do with health care? guest: we are a nonprofit, nonpartisan we support health care issues and make grants to promote better access. host: we might be talking about issues in the senate when it comes to health care but before that i want to ask you about this new survey that came out that shows health care in the united states particularly for those under the affordable care act. 8% in the first quarter of 2022, that previous number was 9% in 2016. what is the number tell you? why is it significant? guest: it is really as historic moment in our progress. it is a major drop. this is really 6 million people. we have seen an uptick in the number of uninsured and it is a significant downward trend. it's on a path for universal coverage. that we are down significantly from the peak of 33 million uninsured in 2019. and the biggest truck, sure it occurred among people with low and moderate incomes. host: also from

ms. davis is playing a villain in "the hunger games" franchise. she will play the villainess. she'll be the head of the tenth "hunger games." the film will star peter dinklage, and jason schwartzman. susan collins ballad of songbirds & snakes." that's in 2023. excited. >>> also in the news, the late, great sidney poitier, oprah wi winfrey will celebrate the legendary actor featuring some of the people he touched so deeply. >> it was a first time i had seen a black man assert his power. >> i'm a giant, and i'm surrounded by ants. >> i wanted to marry sidney poitier. >> he was, like, wow. movie stars should be wow. >> equality of opportunity in this business, there would be 15 sidney poitiers and 10 or 12 -- >> there are not. >> watch it. >> my life has had more than a few wonderful indescribable turns, and i have lived them. >> so powerful. >> wow, chills. >> so powerful. "sidney" featuring interviews he has given including commentary from a-listers like halle berry you saw there, denzel washington, spike lee, barbra streisand, lenny kravitz, so many other. and oprah writing on her instagram saying, sidney poitier came to this world to move it, to shake it, so change it not only as an actor, but

ms. collins, moves to commit the bill --. ms. collins: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the motion be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. collins: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: mr. president, the underlying bill provides billions of dollars to the irs to hire 87,000 additional auditors, yet more than 50% of the current irs employees have yet to return to their offices or work sites. here are the consequences. four out of five phone calls from taxpayers go unanswered. 21 million returns have not been processed. refunds are taking six months or more. my motion would simply prohibit the irs from using these billions of dollars to add 87,000 new employees prior to bringing 90% of their workforce back to the office. mr. president, i would note that that 87,000 number is more than the combined employees at the pentagon, the state department, the fbi, and the border patrol agents combined. the presiding officer: the senator's time has expired. a senator: