Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama will hold a previously unscheduled news conference on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET in the East Room of the White House, spokesman Jay Carney announced.
The news conference comes as Obama faces mounting unhappiness over the U.S. economic performance, as well as controversy over his refusal to seek congressional authorization for U.S. participation in the NATO-led military campaign in Libya.
On Monday, Obama intervened in congressional negotiations on a deficit reduction agreement demanded by Republicans for their support in raising the federal debt ceiling by August 2.