Obama to attend Inouye funeral in Hawaii

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend the funeral service for the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) in Honolulu on Sunday, the White House announced on Saturday.

Inouye, who died on Monday, will be buried Sunday morning at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. Inouye was a nine-term senator, the second-longest-serving member in Senate history, and a World War 2 veteran who received the Medal of Honor. 

Obama, who was born in Hawaii, called Inouye an "inspiration" in his speech at the memorial service held at Washington's National Cathedral on Friday.

“We remember a man who inspired all of use with his courage and moved us with his compassion, that inspired us with his integrity, and who taught so many of us, including a young boy growing up in Hawaii, that America has place for everyone,” Obama said.

The late senator, after his death, also became the 31st person in history to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda, and Vice President Biden spoke at his arrival ceremony on Thursday.

Several of Inouye's colleagues in the Senate were expected to fly to Hawaii to attend the funeral.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Saturday urged Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) to fill Inouye’s seat "with due haste."

"It is critically important to ensure that the people of Hawaii are fully represented in the pivotal decisions the Senate will be making before the end of the year," Reid said in a statement.

The first family is in Hawaii for Christmas, with no other public events on their schedule. Obama arrived at the family's vacation resort in Kailua, on the east end of Oahu, early Saturday morning and plans to stay until Wednesday.

--This report was originally published at 2:14 p.m. and last updated at 6:24 p.m.

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