A long-serving US Senator for Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, has died aged 88 in hospital in Washington.
The Senate leader Harry Reid made the announcement on the chamber's floor.
Mr Inouye had been hospitalised fighting a respiratory illness earlier this month.
He was the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Mr Inouye had been elected to the Senate in 1962 and was the second longest serving senator in US history.
He was a World War Two veteran and medal of honour recipient.
He also held the Samoan chiefly title of Fofogaosamoa.