In this testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, Donald Marron offers Congress four pieces of advice as it faces the looming debt limit. First, Congress must increase the debt limit; failing to do so will result in severe economic harm. Second, Congress should not wait until the last minute to raise the limit; as we saw in 2011, such brinksmanship is economically and fiscally costly. Third, our economy remains fragile, so Congress should avoid self-inflicted shocks. Finally, the long-run budget outlook remains challenging and deserves attention, but the near-term fiscal priorities are funding the government and increasing the debt limit.