U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he thinks Congress will be able to come together on a package to avoid the fiscal cliff. (Photo courtesy of Kinzinger's website)

By Stephanie Pawlowski

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Obama and Congress have until the end of the month to find some kind of agreement over the looming fiscal cliff.

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said he thinks Congress will be able to get something through at the last minute.

"Look, at the end of the day I think something happens, but we're going to stall down to the end of the year before that happens," Kinzinger said. "That's not unique to American politics, that's legislative politics everywhere. It always comes down to a deadline."

PODCAST: Listen to Kinzinger's interview with WJBC's Scott Laughlin and Colleen Reynolds

Kinzinger said President Obama wants to raise taxes on the wealthy while Republicans in the U.S. House want to cut entitlements and raise revenue.

"It's already authored into law that there's going to be a tax increase. I think it's important that we give the American people a tax cut and extend these provisions past this year and then go into some overall tax reform," Kinzinger said.

In a White House briefing Tuesday, presidential spokesman Jay Carney said tax rates for the wealthiest Americans must rise in order to generate enough revenue to pay down the deficit. Carney said Republicans refuse to acknowledge the need to raise taxes on the rich.

A "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and deep, automatic spending cuts will hit the nation at year's end. All Bush-era tax cuts are due to expire.

Stephanie Pawlowski can be reached at Stephanie.Pawlowski@Cumulus.com.