GOP aide: With industry eyeing profits, Republicans must be 'the adults' on net neutrality

A senior GOP aide to the House Commerce Committee said that Republicans will remain opposed to Internet service rules even if Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski can convince Verizon, AT&T and the cable industry to support his plan.

"We're supposed to be the adults in the room," the aide said. "We're supposed to be looking out for the interests of the country. Net neutrality is a bad policy and bad for the economy." Republican members would be even more opposed to a prospective FCC plan if it does not get hearings before becoming a federal rule, according to the aide. But he added that "hopefully" Chairman Genachowski will not move ahead with his efforts to broker a compromise so that there "is no need for a next step" from House Republicans.