In 1963, the U.S. Representative from Duluth, John Blatnik, introduced a bill to observe Leif Erikson Day in the rest of the United States. In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to create the observance through a yearly proclamation. Lyndon B. Johnson and each President since have done so. Presidents have used the proclamation to praise the spirit of discovery and the contributions of Americans of Nordic descent generally. Some states officially commemorate Leif Erikson Day, particularly in the Upper Midwest, where large numbers of people from the Nordic countries settled.