NEW YORK (AP) — Two members of the House of Representatives say they have collected enough votes to impeach Billie Jean King. first individual athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey said Thursday they had about 300 co-signers in the 435-member House of Representatives after Fitzpatrick said the companion bill had passed unanimously in the Senate.
In her opinion, the only step left to give the Tennis Hall of Fame member and activist this honor is to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
“Billie Jean has set a new standard and will hopefully break another one,” said Republican Fitzpatrick. “Hopefully this is the first of many.”
The bill was introduced last September on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, which remains the most watched tennis match of all time. King was also the driving force behind the 1973 initiative that made the US Open the first tournament to equal prize money for the male and female championsand the The WTA Tour was launched.
The gold medal, awarded by Congress for outstanding achievement and contributions to society, has previously been given to athletes such as baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.
Sherrill, a Democrat, said it was clear how much support there was for awarding the title to King.
“We need her advocacy,” Sherrill said. “For example, when Billie Jean King appears on Capitol Hill, our Speaker Emerita Pelosi stands up for her because of that relationship and because she has had so much influence on so many women and influenced so many of us.”
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
