Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- A 12-year-old boy who received life- saving care through U.S.-subsidized health insurance will speak for Democrats tomorrow in their response to President George W. Bush's weekly radio address.

Democrats chose Graeme Frost of Baltimore, instead of the lawmakers or governors who usually provide the party's Saturday- morning broadcast, to press what they see as a political advantage from Bush's vow to veto expansion of a kids' health- care program.

Congress is sending to Bush legislation, given final approval yesterday, that would add $35 billion over five years to the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Bush, who calls the measure a step toward ``federalization'' of health care, will veto the legislation even though Republican lawmakers in close re-election campaigns will come under pressure if they stand by him, Bush press secretary Dana Perino said today.

``No doubt that it's difficult, especially politically'' when ``there are advertisements running in your district saying that you don't care about children, which is preposterous,'' Perino told reporters at the White House. ``They have to think about the principles here.''

The Senate passed the measure yesterday with enough Republican backing to override a veto; the House fell about two dozen votes short earlier in the week. The measure would more than double funding for the program, letting states enroll an additional 3.8 million uninsured kids.

Democratic lawmakers say they will press Republicans to vote against the president on the override attempt. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, asked Bush today to change his mind and sign the measure.

No `Second Thoughts'

``The president doesn't have second thoughts'' and will veto it, Perino said. ``I don't see any changing of the minds there.'' She said Bush proposed that the two sides work on a compromise after the veto.

The health-insurance program, which applies to some 6 million kids who otherwise would not have coverage, is set to expire on Sept. 30. Congress passed legislation this week that included a stopgap measure to keep the program funded through the middle of November.

``No one's going to lose their coverage,'' Perino said.

Bush has said he supports the program known as Schip, passed 10 years ago by a Republican-controlled Congress. Democrats are trying to expand coverage to middle-income children whose families can afford private insurance, the president said.

$900 Hammer

It's fine for Republicans to oppose big government and excessive spending, said Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster.

``But the problem is, what do you use to draw that line?'' he said. ``There're good things to use and there's bad things to use. A $900 hammer -- that's a great symbolic thing to draw on. A bridge-to-nowhere is a great symbolic thing to draw on. Denying children health care may not be the best symbolic rhetoric.''

Democrats are counting on Frost, who was hospitalized for traumatic brain injury after a 2004 car accident, to deliver the message that Bush is picking the wrong fight.

``My message is that the president needs to sign this bill because there are many, many kids who depend on this,'' Frost said today in a telephone interview. ``There are many kids who may not have survived without this.''

In a transcript of the radio addressed provided by Democrats, Frost said his hard-working parents ``always make sure my sister and I have everything we need, but the hospital bills were huge.''

Republicans for and against the Schip expansion debated yesterday on the Senate floor whether this should be the start of a fight over the future of health care in the U.S.

`Broader Debate'

``Let us not jeopardize a successful, effective program for low-income children because we want to have a broader debate,'' said Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona said Congress was giving too much money to a program that originally was directed at low-income kids in families with incomes up to $41,300. Some states have expanded beyond that. New Jersey, the most generous, enrolls uninsured children in families earning up to $72,000.

``There's too much spending on a program that's been expanded beyond its focus,'' Kyl said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aliza Marcus in Washington at amarcus8@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 28, 2007 15:20 EDT