.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean Master will certainly end up being the very first individual females's professional athlete to become rewarded the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Shirt declared Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed our home of Representatives and also would certainly be delivered to President Joe Biden for his signature.The bill to honor Master, the tennis Hall of Famer and protestor, had actually passed all in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, stated in a claim that Master's "life-time of campaigning for as well as effort changed the garden for females as well as women on the courthouse, in the class, as well as the office." The bill was presented in September 2023 on the 50th wedding anniversary of King's triumph over Bobby Riggs in the "Fight of the Sexes," still the most-watched tennis suit of all time. The award, granted by Our lawmakers for distinguished accomplishments as well as payments to community, has formerly been offered to sportsmens, including baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente as well as golf players Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson as well as Arnold Palmer.King had already been awarded the Governmental Award of Independence in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, says she has "busted barriers, led unexplored roads, as well as influenced many people to stand up proudly with nerve and sentiment in the defend what corrects.".