But the Iowa Republican says he believes a small group negotiating the issue agrees a government-run public option won't be part of the package.

Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, is among a bipartisan group of six lawmakers who are negotiating a compromise to overhaul the nation's health care system.

Grassley told The Associated Press on Monday that he's hopeful, but a plan that could emerge would be "a little less sweeping than what we talked about before."

Grassley says not all of the six lawmakers oppose a public option, but "they realize the reality of it."
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.