Led by the FCC's Pai, GOP are rallying against Wheeler's net neutrality proposal

Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai is heading the opposition to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's effort to pass new net neutrality rules--a regulatory battle that has grown into a surprisingly public and acrimonious debate.

"I've not been shy about expressing my views on a great many subjects," Pai told Politico. "I've done my best to make sure that my views are expressed, whether through the spoken word or the pen."

And Pai isn't alone. A House subcommittee plans to hold a hearing next week on net neutrality, and Republicans on the committee are speaking out against the rules. "The closer we get to the FCC rubber stamping President Obama's Internet grab, the more disturbing it becomes," subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said in a statement, according to The Hill.

The FCC is scheduled to vote on its net neutrality rules next week. The rules could significantly alter the communications landscape by preventing network operators--both wireless and wireline--from prioritizing, slowing or otherwise manipulating Internet traffic.