National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) told reporters Thursday morning that the NRCC raised approximately $13 million during the second quarter of this year, to close the period with around “a couple” of million dollars in cash on hand.

An NRCC spokesman declined to elaborate on the committee’s cash-on-hand figure beyond what Cole said during a Thursday morning news conference, his first formal briefing to reporters since assuming the chairmanship of the NRCC in January.

The NRCC continues to trail the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in both categories, as the DCCC raised $17 million during the second quarter, while banking around $19 million.

Cole said the committee’s debt is now down to just more than $4 million, after beginning the cycle with a debt of around $16 million.

“You can bank money or you can get out of debt. I prefer to get out of debt,” Cole said. “We run a very lean operation.”

— David M. Drucker