A hearing on women's health, organized by the House Democratic Steering & Policy Cmte., has lead to a dispute over control of the House recording studio.

Ms. Sandra Fluke, a third-year law student at Georgetown University, is the only witness scheduled. Democrats wanted her to testify at last week's hearing on the administration's conceptives policy, but Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), House Oversight Committee Chair, blocked her appearance. Instead, five clergymen -- and no women -- testified.

When requests to televise today's hearing were turned down by the House recording studio, aides to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) claimed that Republicans on the Committee on House Administration wanted to "silence" the issue of women's health. A spokeswoman for the committee denied the charge, pointing out that the committee was not involved in the studio decision.

Democrats complain that changes to the House broadcast rules should have permitted the broadcast. Republicans, on the other hand, say that the recording studio is only following established procedures.