Updated 6 p.m. ET - Republicans' efforts to undo President Barack Obama's health care reform law appear to have come to an end, as House Speaker John Boehner described it Thursday as the "law of the land."

In an interview with ABC News, the nation's top elected Republican seemed to indicate that Congress wouldn't engage in the type of repeated repeal votes the way it had in the past two years. Boehner's office provided a transcript of the exchange:

SAWYER:

A couple of other questions about the agenda now.  You have said next year that you would repeal the healthcare vote.  That's still your mission?

BOEHNER:

Well, I think the election changes that.  It's pretty clear that the president was reelected, Obamacare is the law of the land.  I think there are parts of the healthcare law that are gonna be very difficult to implement.  And very expensive.  And as the time when we're tryin' to find a way to create a path toward a balanced budget everything has to be on the table.

SAWYER:

But you won't be spending the time next year trying to repeal Obamacare?

BOEHNER:

There certainly may be parts of it that we believe-- need to be changed.  We may do that.  No decisions at this point.

The speaker's pronouncement, if nothing else, signifies a pivot away from Republicans' efforts to showcase for conservatives their doggedness in looking to repeal "Obamacare."

It's also a recognition that the 2009-2010 health care law that came to define Obama's first term in office -- and propel Republicans to a majority in the House -- is here to stay.

A spokesman for Boehner sought to clarify the speaker's comments.

"While ObamaCare is the law of the land, it is costing us jobs and threatening our health care," said Kevin Smith, the speaker's communications director. "Speaker Boehner and House Republicans remain committed to repealing the law, and he said in the interview it would be on the table."

The Supreme Court's summer 2012 ruling upholding the constitutionality of the law disarmed conservatives of one of their best possible chances of defeating the health care law once and for all.

And Mitt Romney's loss on Tuesday meant that Republicans won't have in the White House a president that could severely limit the scope of the law before its key provisions begin to take effect in 2014.

Updated at 12:53 p.m. ET- President Barack Obama announced Friday that the administration will not require religious-affiliated institutions to cover birth control for their employees.

Capping weeks of growing controversy, Obama said he was backing off a newly announced requirement for religious employers to provide free birth control coverage even if it runs counter to their religious beliefs.

Instead, workers at such institutions will be able to get free birth control coverage directly from health insurance companies.

"Under the rule, women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services no matter where they work. That core principle remains," he said from the White House briefing room.

"Religious liberty will be protected and a law that requires free preventative care will not discriminate against women," Obama added.

Planned Parenthood responded Friday with a statement, saying, "The Obama administration has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring all women will have access to birth control coverage, with no costly co-pays, no additional hurdles, and no matter where they work ...  we will be vigilant in holding the administration and the institutions accountable for a rigorous, fair and consistent implementation of the policy ..."

Following an intense White House debate that led to the original policy, officials said Obama seriously weighed the concerns over religious liberty, leading to the revamped decision.

It was just on Jan. 20 that the Obama administration announced that religious-affiliated employers -- outside of churches and houses of worships -- had to cover birth control free of charge as preventative care for women.

These hospitals, schools and charities were given an extra year to comply, until August 2013, but that concession failed to satisfy opponents, who responded with outrage.

Catholic cardinals and bishops across the country assailed the policy in Sunday Masses. Republican leaders in Congress promised emergency legislation to overturn Obama's move. The president's rivals in the race for the White House accused him of attacking religion. Prominent lawmakers from Obama's own party began openly deriding the policy.

The sentiment on the other side, though, was also fierce. Women's groups, liberal religious leaders and health advocates pressed Obama not to cave in on the issue.

The furor has consumed media attention and threatened to undermine Obama's re-election bid just as he was in a stride over improving economic news.

Political reality forced the White House to come up with a solution to a complex matter must faster than anticipated.

The fact that Obama delivered the news himself was a sign of the stakes.

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