[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 144 (Tuesday, September 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5250-H5253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BILLIE JEAN KING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

  Mrs. KIM of California. 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2861

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Billie Jean King 
     Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Billie Jean King, born Billie Jean Moffitt on November 
     22, 1943, in Long Beach, California, demonstrated athletic 
     prowess from a young age. She was introduced to tennis at the 
     age of 11, and soon after, Billie Jean purchased her first 
     tennis racket using money she earned working various jobs in 
     her neighborhood.
       (2) Billie Jean broke numerous barriers to become a number 
     one professional tennis player. She dominated women's tennis 
     with 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles, and mixed doubles 
     titles, including a record 20 championships at Wimbledon. She 
     also was a member of 3 World TeamTennis championship teams.
       (3) After growing in prominence, Billie Jean used her 
     platform as a celebrity to fight for equal rights and 
     opportunities for equality for all in sports, and society, in 
     the United States.
       (4) Billie Jean played an instrumental role in the passage 
     of title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (20 
     U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), a law that mandates equal funding for 
     women's and men's sports programs in schools and colleges. 
     This legislation has unlocked a world of opportunities for 
     girls and women in education and sports.
       (5) During Billie Jean's career, the pay difference between 
     prize money for men and women in tennis continued to expand. 
     By the early 1970s, the pay gap in prize money reached ratios 
     of as much as 12 to 1. Fewer and fewer tournaments were 
     hosting women's events. Billie Jean harnessed the energy of 
     the women's rights movement to create a women's tennis tour 
     that would elevate women's tennis and establish pay equity 
     within the sport. Along with 8 other women tennis players, 
     she formed an independent women's professional tennis 
     circuit, the Virginia Slims Series.
       (6) In 1973, Billie Jean founded the Women's Tennis 
     Association, today's principal governing body for women's 
     professional tennis.
       (7) Billie Jean helped found womenSports magazine and 
     founded the Women's Sports Foundation. Both have been at the 
     forefront of advancing women's voice in sports.
       (8) Billie Jean successfully lobbied for equal prize money 
     for men and women at the 1973 US Open Tennis Championships. 
     It would take another 34 years for the other 3 major 
     tournaments to all offer equal prize money.
       (9) In 1973, Billie Jean played a tennis match against 
     Bobby Riggs, a former World Number 1 player who sought to 
     undermine the credibility and prominence of women in sports. 
     Billie Jean defeated Riggs in what became a firm declaration 
     of women's role in sports and society.
       (10) Billie Jean King was the first tennis player and woman 
     to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year, 
     one of the ``100 Most Important Americans of the 20th 
     Century'' by LIFE magazine, was the recipient of the 1999 
     Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, and has been admitted to the 
     International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, the International 
     Tennis Hall of Fame, and the National Women's Hall of Fame.
       (11) In 2006, the United States Tennis Association 
     recognized Billie Jean's immeasurable impact on the sport of 
     tennis by renaming the site of the US Open in her honor as 
     the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is 
     located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. 
     This was the first time a major sporting complex was named 
     after a woman.
       (12) In 2009, Billie Jean was awarded the Presidential 
     Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United 
     States, by President Barack Obama for her impactful work 
     advocating for the rights of women. She was the first female 
     athlete to receive this honor.
       (13) In 2014, Billie Jean King founded the Billie Jean King 
     Leadership Initiative to empower companies and individuals to 
     create inclusive work environments that celebrate and promote 
     diversity and equality in the workplace.

[[Page H5251]]

       (14) In 2020, Fed Cup, the world cup of women's tennis, was 
     renamed the Billie Jean King Cup, making it the first global 
     team competition to be named after a woman.
       (15) Billie Jean King's extraordinary courage, leadership, 
     and activism helped propel the women's movement forward, and 
     open doors for countless people in the United States. On and 
     off the court, Billie Jean has served as an inspiration to 
     millions of people the world over. Few women and men have had 
     a greater impact on their sport and on our society than 
     Billie Jean King.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to 
     Billie Jean King, in recognition of her contribution to the 
     United States and her courageous and groundbreaking 
     leadership advancing equal rights for women in athletics, 
     education, and our society.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions 
     to be determined by the Secretary. The design shall bear an 
     image of, and inscription of the name of, Billie Jean King.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 at a price 
     sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are 
     national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 and 
     section 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 
     struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 
     items.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to 
     be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
     Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of 
     the medals struck under this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be 
     deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Kim) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. KIM of California. 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. KIM of California. 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.
  Ms. WATERS. 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.

                              {time}  1445

  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

[[Page H5252]]

1964, and we honored her a long time ago.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Waters) wish to reclaim her time?
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim the time.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters) is recognized.
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from New York, (Ms. Malliotakis).
  Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. 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

[[Page H5253]]

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.
  Ms. WATERS. 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.
  Mrs. KIM of California. 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2861.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________