House Republican leaders called on rank-and-file members Tuesday to step up their contributions to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) or face life in the minority for many cycles to come.

During a closed-door meeting, NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) told members that donations to the campaign committee should be a major priority, according to sources in the room.

“[Cole] was encouraging members to meet their obligations to the committee, attend dinners and regional events,” he said, adding that it was common to have speeches such as Cole’s when Republicans were in the majority as well. 

“Members work hard to raise money, and it is a lot harder [in the minority],” he said. “They can get a little tight-fisted.”

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) also addressed the issue, according to sources in the room, and announced the creation of “challenger fund” within the NRCC. The new program would direct funds exclusively to challengers and open-seat races around the country.  

He stressed that the funds would in no way take from the donations that already go to supporting incumbents in tough races.

GOP leaders have a right to be concerned. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has collected $13.4 million from members who have transferred funds from their campaign coffers, while House GOP transfers to NRCC have totaled $6.1 million.

Boehner and Cole clashed earlier this fall over fundraising and staffing issues at the NRCC. Both men downplayed the dispute and claim their differences have been settled.

The NRCC has achieved 42 percent of its member fundraising goal but Cole said during the meeting that if member contributions from the annual fundraising dinners, dues and debt retirement were 100 percent, the NRCC would have raised $33 million.

NRCC still has $3.575 million in debt, according to a source familiar with the GOP leaders’ presentation. NRCC’s cash on hand is dwarfed by DCCC’s.

At the end of September, DCCC had $28.3 million cash on hand with nearly $3 million in debt while NRCC had $1.6 million cash on hand.

Cole said in an interview later that appealing to members is a part of the job.

  “We are in the middle of our dues drive,” Cole explained, adding he was confident members had a “pretty good handle” on what they need to do financially to win back the majority.

According to Democratic Party officials, the DCCC strives to collect about one-third from members campaign funds, with the rest of the money coming from grassroots efforts, individual small-dollar donors, and high-dollar donors.

In another indication of Cole’s emphasis of the need for Republicans to embrace an anti-Washington message, Massachusetts Republican Jim Ogonowski was asked to address the House GOP conference on Tuesday.

Ogonowski came within a handful of percentage points of defeating Democrat Niki Tsongas in a special election to replace Rep. Marty Meehan (D) last month.

Due to the left leaning composition of the district, Republicans touted Ogonowski’s narrow race as a victory and billed it as a sign that the base is displeased with how the Democratic majority has run the Congress.

According to sources in the room, Ogonowski explained that his anti-Washington establishment campaign resonated with voters. Ogonowski blasted both parties throughout his campaign, going so far as to criticize Boehner over controversial comments on Iraq.

Cole described Ogonowski as the GOP “Rocky,” adding,  “He was playing in some very tough terrain.”

Asked whether the Massachusetts Republican would run again next year, Cole said Ogonowski had not decided.