WASHINGTON Leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, unhappy with the Republican health care legislation being rushed through the House by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), are taking their concerns directly to President Donald Trump.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and former Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) spent Thursday afternoon at the White House, meeting with budget staffers, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, and Trump himself. The group met for hours, according to Meadows, and Trump attended for a very lengthy time.

It was an extremely productive day with the president, Meadows told a small group of reporters later.

Freedom Caucus members are demanding changes to the health care bill that Republican House leaders refuse to make. While Meadows wouldnt provide details, he said the group discussed amendments to the legislation with Trump, as well as the presidents broader concerns about health reform.

The president actually shared with me that he wants to make sure he lowers premiums for Americans, and he wants to make sure that we get this done quickly, Meadows said.

Conservatives have criticized the GOP health care plan because it seems unlikely to lead to lower premiums.

No ones saying that the premiums will go do down, Freedom Caucus member Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) told The Huffington Post on Thursday. No ones saying that about the cost of health care. And I dont think leadership is being honest with the president about this.

Asked later Thursday if conservatives were going around Ryan to negotiate directly with Trump, Labrador said the Freedom Caucus has tried negotiating with House leadership. Now, he suggested, conservatives were trying a different strategy.

Were appealing to a president who likes to negotiate, who likes to win, and who likes to keep his promises, Labrador said.

President Trump needs to understand that we as the Freedom Caucus are trying to protect him from the same old lines that leadership gives everybody over the last few years, Labrador said earlier in the day. And he needs to remember that it wasnt Paul Ryan who was standing by him when the chips were down. It was people like myself and others who were standing by him.

Labrador added that he didnt want to turn negotiations into an us-versus-them, and that conservatives were just trying to help Trump keep promises.

This bill is not it, Labrador said.