Election alters House plans for reform repeal: Boehner

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday's presidential election alters the lower chamber's plans to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“I think the election changes that,” Boehner told Diane Sawyer on Thursday in an exclusive interview on ABC's World News Tonight. “It's pretty clear the president was re-elected. Obamacare is the law of the land.”

But the Ohio Republican hinted that some provisions of the controversial 2010 healthcare law are still vulnerable on Capitol Hill. “There certainly may be parts of it that we believe need to be changed,” Boehner said. “We may do that—no decisions at this point.”

Meanwhile, the House's No. 2 leader cited the law's Independent Payment Advisory Board as one measure the House still would like to see overturned.

“There are some issues I suspect Sen. Reid will have a difficult time compelling his Members to oppose outright,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) wrote in a letter (PDF) to his GOP colleagues this week, referring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) “Therefore, if we successfully make the case publicly, bills that could reach the president's desk include: expanded work requirements for welfare programs, expanded domestic energy production, and repeal of IPAB,” he continued. “When we gather at our retreat in January, our conference will need to further refine and agree upon this list of priorities.”