.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean King will certainly come to be the first specific girls's sportsmen to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey declared Tuesday that their bipartisan laws had actually passed the House of Agents and also would certainly be actually delivered to Head of state Joe Biden for his signature.The costs to recognize King, the tennis Lobby of Famer as well as activist, had actually actually passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, pointed out in a declaration that King's "life-time of advocacy and also hard work transformed the yard for females and also girls on the court, in the classroom, and also the work environment." The costs was launched in September 2023 on the 50th wedding anniversary of King's success over Bobby Riggs in the "War of the Sexes," still the most-watched tennis match of all time. The medal, rewarded by Our lawmakers for distinguished accomplishments and also contributions to society, has recently been actually offered to athletes, consisting of baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and also golf players Port Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and also Arnold Palmer.King had actually already been rewarded the Governmental Award of Independence in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, claims she has "busted barricades, led uncharted roads, as well as inspired numerous people to stand proudly along with nerve and also conviction in the fight for what corrects.".