House votes to give tennis legend Billie Jean King Congressional Gold Medal

The House of Representatives on Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved a measure to award the Congressional Gold Medal to female tennis legend Billie Jean King.

King, who was a major advocate for the passage of Title IX in the 1970s, will be the first solo female athlete to receive the award. The measure still needs to be signed by President Joe Biden in order to take effect.   

The measure was first introduced in the Senate last year, and received bipartisan support in both chambers, with more than 300 lawmakers co-sponsoring the House bill, per The Hill. The Senate bill was introduced on the 50th anniversary of King's iconic victory over Bobby Riggs in 1973. 

“Billie Jean’s impact has been transformative, and her legacy of advocacy stands unmatched,” Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican who led the House bill with Democratic New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, said in a statement.

King has also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"Thank you. I am deeply humbled and honored," King wrote in a post on X on Tuesday night.

Other athletes who have received the Congressional Gold Medal include Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.