Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 51st anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes, the female versus male tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, played on September 20, 1973.

Mr. Speaker, 90 million people in the world tuned in to watch as King made history and defeated Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in three straight sets: 6-4, 6-3, and 6-3.

It was a first, it was groundbreaking, and it forever changed the sport of tennis and brought the issue of women's equality to the forefront of our Nation.

Billie Jean King has inspired generations of American women. She lived the dream for her generation and the women who came before her, who lived during a time when they were restricted from reaching their full potential.

She has empowered young women with the road she paved and the ceiling that she broke. My generation was the first to really benefit from the positive changes made because of her.

I can say that she certainly inspired me to challenge and defeat a man for this seat in the House of Representatives.

To really put in perspective just how courageous and trailblazing Billie Jean King's actions were, one needs to know what women endured at the time.

In 1973: Women could not get their own credit card or open a bank account without their husband or a male cosigner.

They could not attend a U.S. military service academy.

In some States, they couldn't even serve on a jury.

There were no protections against sexual harassment in the workplace. They could get fired just for being pregnant, and there was no access to birth control.

Women were paid 50 percent less than men, and the sport of tennis was no different. In fact, it was worse. In 1970, Billie Jean and eight other female players created their own tennis circuit to protest men receiving 12 to 1 prize money at an upcoming tournament.

In 1972, when Billie Jean won the U.S. Open singles title and received $10,000 in prize money while the male winner was awarded $25,000, she used her platform to further champion the issue of equal prize money and threatened to boycott the U.S. Open unless the disparity was addressed.

She founded the Women's Tennis Association, and she put her reputation, her tennis career, and her title on the line for gender equality, and she never wavered.

Her courage, resolve, and determination pushed the U.S. Tennis Association to make the 1973 U.S. Open the first sporting event to offer equal prize money to female and male competitors.

Billie Jean is also no stranger to the Halls of Congress. She came to Washington to advocate for and testify in support of Title IX, signed by President Nixon in 1972, that prohibited sex discrimination in all federally funded school activities.

Her achievements, both on and off the court, earned Billie Jean King accolades and honors. She became the first female athlete to be named a Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

In 1975, Seventeen Magazine readers named Billie Jean the most admired woman in the world. In 1976, she was Time Magazine's Woman of the Year. In 1990, Life magazine named her one of the 100 Most Important Americans of the 20th century.

She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2006, the U.S. Tennis Association Tennis Center in my city, New York City, home of the U.S. Open, was renamed in her honor.

In 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She even has her own song by Elton John in tribute to her 1974 tennis team, Philadelphia Freedoms.

As a Representative of Staten Island, New York, where the sport of tennis was first brought and played by Mary Ewing Outerbridge 150 years ago and where the first national tennis tournament was played in 1880, it gives me

great pride to stand before you and to join Representative Fitzpatrick and my colleagues in honoring the woman who advanced the sport and achieved equal prize money for herself and all the women who followed.

Mr. Speaker, while Congress has awarded a Congressional Gold Medal to prolific male athletes in the past, this body has never awarded a female athlete the highest civilian honor.

Today, we seek to change that and award it to the one woman who advocated, fought, and blazed the trail for equality in sports and won 129 singles titles and 39 Grand Slam titles along the way, Billie Jean King.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2861, the Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act, sponsored by Senator Gillibrand.

Today, we will vote to honor Billie Jean King's remarkable work in sports and society with the Congressional Gold Medal.

Billie Jean King broke numerous barriers to become a number one tennis player, and after growing in prominence, she used her platform as a celebrity to fight for equal rights and equal opportunities for women in American sports and society.

Notably, Billie Jean King played an instrumental role in the passage of Title IX, the law that mandates equal funding for women's and men's sports in American schools. Title IX unlocked opportunities for girls and women in education and sports.

I cannot help but mention Representative Mink, who served in this body. She authored Title IX, the Early Childhood Education Act, and the Women's Educational Equity Act.

During Billie Jean King's career, the pay difference between men and women for prize money continued to expand. Fewer and fewer tournaments were hosting women's events.

Billie Jean King led many efforts to elevate women's sports. Along with eight other women tennis players, she formed an independent women's professional tennis circuit called the Virginia Slims Series.

She also founded the Women's Tennis Association, which still exists today, the womenSports magazine, and the Women's Sports Foundation. All of these organizations have been instrumental in advancing women's voices in sports.

At the 1973 U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Billie Jean King successfully lobbied for equal prize money between men and women.

Billie Jean King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, the highest civilian honor in the United States, by President Barack Obama. The honor recognized her impactful work throughout the years in advocating for the rights of women. She was the first female athlete to receive the honor.

In 2014, Billie Jean King founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to empower companies and individuals to create inclusive work environments. These inclusive work environments celebrate and promote diversity and equality.

The Fed Cup, the world cup of women's tennis, was renamed to the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020, making it the first global competition to be named after a woman.

Billie Jean King has clearly been recognized for her extraordinary courage, leadership, and activism that helped propel the women's movement forward. Today, Congress will vote to bestow its highest honor as well. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I want you to know before I close, Billie Jean King attended my alma mater, Cal State University in Los Angeles, and she was there from 1961 to

1964, and we honored her a long time ago.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim the time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this important bill will award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of her remarkable work devoted to championing women's rights in sports and in society. She used her platform to fight for equal rights and opportunities for equality in sports and society.

I am very thankful to Senator Gillibrand for her work on this important bill. I cannot help but share with you today, Billie Jean King helped to inspire and also helped to ensure equal opportunities for future tennis players.

Coming from my district, where they were reared and trained to be the champions that they became, Venus and Serena Williams are beneficiaries of all of that work that Billie Jean King did to change the way prize money was equalized and to make sure that women in tennis and women in all aspects of our society have equal opportunities. I thank Billie Jean King.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2861) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2861, a bill that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to an American sports icon and champion of women's rights, Billie Jean King.

I will start by thanking Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Mikie Sherrill for leading the House version of this bill, H.R. 1831.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here today to celebrate the historic accomplishments of Ms. Billie Jean King.

Billie Jean is a tennis legend. She was introduced to tennis at 11 years old and dominated the game until her retirement from competition in 1983. She reached number one in the world with 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles.

We are in awe of her athletic achievements and impact on the game. However, we are not here today just to talk about her accomplishments on the court.

Mr. Speaker, Billie Jean used her notoriety and platform to fight for equal rights and equal opportunities for all, not just in sports, but in American society, as well. She became an advocate for female athletes at a time when female accomplishments were not celebrated or rewarded in the same way as her male counterparts.

Billie Jean had an instrumental hand in shaping the opportunities in education and sports for girls and women. Without her efforts and dedication to the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, America would look very different today.

After that legislative win, Billie Jean focused her efforts on lobbying for equal prize money for both men and women at the 1973 U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Although it would take another 34 years for the other three major tennis tournaments to offer equal prize money, she started a conversation that continued to push through barriers with her actions.

That same year, Billie Jean did something unprecedented and played a tennis match against former world number one player, male tennis star, Bobby Riggs. She defeated Riggs, and this match became a firm declaration of women's roles in sports.

Through her leadership, bravery, and activism, we owe her a huge debt of gratitude. I can think of no person more deserving to earn this distinguished honor.

S. 2861 would recognize Billie Jean King's tireless efforts to make the world a better and more equitable place. It is only fitting that she be the first female athlete to receive a Congressional Gold Medal for those efforts. It is my hope that her courage will continue to inspire Americans today and every day.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York, (Ms. Malliotakis).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all my colleagues who spoke in support of this legislation. I believe this was a wonderful time where we got to understand much more than what we knew from the news articles about Billie Jean and her accomplishments, and her legacy will continue on. She will continue to be an inspiration to all of us, especially to girls and women and future athletes.

I urge my colleagues to support S. 2861, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2861, the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to award the incomparable and indomitable Billie Jean King, a legendary athlete, ardent advocate, and a trailblazing icon, the Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. Speaker, last March, I proudly introduced this legislation, which has received overwhelming bipartisan support, standing at just under 300 cosponsors, a remarkable feat in and of itself.

At just 11 years old, Billie Jean set her sights on becoming the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen. Mr. Speaker, she did just that and more.

Billie Jean became a force on the tennis court and a transformative champion for equality, charting new paths for all athletes and spearheading the fight for gender equality in sports and beyond.

Beyond her extraordinary collection of trophies and 39 Grand Slam titles, Billie Jean King leveraged her remarkable achievements and prominent platform to catalyze a seismic shift in the women's movement.

Mr. Speaker, she didn't simply raise the profile of women's tennis-- she redefined its very foundation. Through her fearless defiance of the status quo, her staunch advocacy for Title IX and pay equality, and her visionary efforts to expand opportunities for girls and women in sports, Billie Jean's impact has been transformative, and her legacy of advocacy stands unmatched.

Mr. Speaker, this Friday will mark the 51st anniversary of the historic iconic Battle of the Sexes match where Billie Jean triumphantly defeated Bobby Riggs in front of tens of millions of people across America and across the globe, including my own mom who was pregnant with me at the time.

Billie Jean shattered the false narrative of women's inequality, proving that women can not only compete at the highest level, they can dominate at the highest level.

That iconic victory ignited a seismic shift in women's sports, sparking a revolution that empowered generations of women to demand their rights and seek equality in every sphere of life.

Now, five decades later, Billie Jean stands once more at the brink of yet another groundbreaking and trailblazing accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor this legislative body, the United States Congress, can bestow. It is awarded to those who have profoundly impacted our Nation's history. Past recipients include influential athletes like Roberto Clemente and Arnold Palmer.

Mr. Speaker, with the passage today of S. 2861, the indomitable Billie Jean will become the first female athlete ever in United States' history to receive this prestigious and well-deserved honor.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to my partners in the Senate, Senators Gillibrand and Capito, and our House colleagues as well, Representatives Sherrill and Malliotakis, for their incredible work, doing the hard work of garnering cosponsors on this floor day in and day out for many months.

I thank the U.S. Tennis Association for their support and tireless dedication to preserving and celebrating Billie Jean King's legacy.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to enshrine Billie Jean King's legacy as not only a champion of tennis but a champion of equality whose impact will continue to inspire women and girls and people across America and across the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen events, I was unfortunately unable to cast my vote for legislation considered on the House floor today. Had I been able to be present, I would have voted according to the following: NAY on Roll Call No. 418--H.R. 8314, No Foreign Election Interference Act and YEA on Roll Call No. 419--S. 2861, Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal Act.