Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says Gov. Scott Walker must follow the federal health care reform law and meet its deadlines, even if he disapproves of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law.

The U.S. Supreme Court found the law constitutional on Thursday, but Walker, a Republican, has vowed not to implement it until after the November elections. Walker said he is hoping the next president and Congress will repeal President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is commonly referred to as “Obamacare.”
Nearly 30 states, including Wisconsin, joined a federal law suit to challenge the law, alleging it was unconstitutional.
Van Hollen, a Republican, handled Wisconsin's participation in the federal lawsuit, which was dismissed with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling.
Van Hollen said Thursday that Walker is obligated to follow the law according to its deadlines, according to a report by The Associated Press.
The following is Walker’s full statement in reaction to the court’s decision: “I continue to oppose ObamaCare. One of my first acts as Governor was to authorize Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to add Wisconsin to the federal lawsuit opposing ObamaCare. Wisconsin will not take any action to implement ObamaCare. I am hopeful that political changes in Washington, D.C. later this year ultimately end the implementation of this law at the federal level. If there is no political remedy from Washington and the law moves forward, it would require the majority of people in Wisconsin to pay more money for less health care. Additionally, it would increase the size and cost of government, decrease the quality of healthcare and, in our state, reduce access for those truly in need of assistance. The federal government should not tell individuals and families what to do with healthcare. The alternative is more transparency and a more active role by consumers, so we can truly control costs.”
Meanwhile, ABC World News Tonight will examine the impact of the health care reforms on an Oconomowoc family in its newscast today, which will begin at 530 p.m. and will be broadcast locally on WISN-Channel 12.
The Raether family will be featured in a segment about the Affordable Care Act ruling and how it benefits them. Luke, Vincent and Mira Raether were born as premature triplets six years ago.
Mira had a kidney transplant at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in May 2009. Mira and her family traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent Children’s during the annual Family Advocacy Day Trip in 2010.
Mira, the only girl in a set of premature triplets, struggled with health issues before she even left the womb. When she defied doctors' predictions that she might not survive, her parents named her Mira Cale, because to them she was a miracle.
Her brothers grew out of their premature issues, but Mira needed heart surgery and then was found to have renal acidosis. Her kidneys were not correcting the pH balance in her blood, which affects growth, heart, hormones and other functions, necessitating a transplant.
A family neighbor proved to be a donor match. In May 2009, Mira had her kidney transplant at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
Today, Mira has many hobbies including riding her scooter and bike, dancing like a ballerina and playing hockey.

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