Political Quotes

“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.…”