‘Heavy-Weight’ to Give Dem Radio Address

ABC News’ Lindsey Ellerson Reports: To pressure President Bush not to veto Senate-passed legislation that would extend a federal children’s health insurance plan, Senate Democrats have asked 12-year-old Graeme Frost — who benefited from the program while recovering from a severe car accident — to deliver the weekly radio address. 

"One of the pleasures that the speaker and I have is that we submit who is going to give the radio address following the president," said Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid Friday during a ceremony on Capitol Hill.  "We decided that we wanted this week to have a real heavy-weight. And that’s why this week we have 12-year-old Graeme with us."

In the radio address, Graeme asks why President Bush wants to "stop" the program. 

"I don’t know why President Bush wants to stop kids who really need help from getting SCHIP," Graeme will say in the Saturday radio address, according to a transcript released Friday. "All I know, is that I have some really good doctors that took care of me when I was sick and I’m glad I could because of the children’s health program. I just hope the president will listen to my story and help other kids be as lucky as me."

A resident of Baltimore, Maryland, Graeme was seriously injured in an car accident three years ago. His family’s participation in the Children’s Health Insurance Program helped facilitate his recovery.

"I was in a coma for a week and couldn’t eat or stand up or even talk at first. My sister was even worse. I was in the hospital for five and a half months, and I needed a big surgery."

Now Graeme has recovered and is back at school, but still struggles with injuries from the accident.

"One of my vocal chords is paralyzed so I don’t talk the same I used to, and I can’t run or walk as fast as I did.  The doctors say I can’t play football anymore, but, I might still be able to be a coach. I’m just happy to be back with my family," he says.

"These children are why we are here," House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Friday. "They are why this Congress came together in a bipartisan way in overwhelming agreement on this legislation."

The legislation, which would have extended health benefits to ten million American children from poor families, was passed by the House on Tuesday and by the Senate late Thursday evening. The bill would increase spending on the program from approximately $5 billion to $12 billion annually for the next five years, a sum that is double what Bush recommended.

While a majority of the Senate supported the bipartisan bill, in a phone call on Friday morning, Bush told Pelosi he will veto the measure.

"I reached out to the president this morning to say that I was still praying that he would have a change of heart," Pelosi said. "I think I have to pray a little harder, but I will not give up."

The President is still intent on vetoing the $30-billion expansion because he says the bill would extend health benefits to children of middle class and upper class families, rather than just children of poorer families.

"Congressional leaders have put forward an irresponsible plan that would dramatically expand this program beyond its original intent," Bush will say in his radio address on Saturday.  "They know I will veto it."

"The President has been very clear for months that if the bill came to him in its current form, that he would veto it," White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters Friday.

"The President is saying, let’s take care of the neediest children first, let’s not put scarce federal dollars towards a program that was meant for the poorest children and let it creep up to middle income families with incomes up to $83,000 a year," Perino said.

During the Friday morning ceremony Reid said that this legislation is the last straw. "I spent more time on this legislation than any other piece of legislation in my entire legislative career," he said.

ABC News’ Ann Compton and James Kane contributed to this report.