CEOs from five convenience chains recently joined together to meet with Republican Sen. John Cornyn, asking him to reconsider a proposed bill that could allow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate tobacco, a move retailers feel could lead to the federal agency garnering

the ability to shut down stores, according to Politico.com.

According to Ronnie Volkening, a lobbyist for 7-Eleven, Cornyn was interested in the retailers’ concerns.

“Cornyn was actively processing everything we were saying and sincerely looking … to make it more fair,” Volkening told the Web site. “That’s all you can ask.”

The proposed bill would allow the FDA to regulate the ingredients of tobacco products, would require larger warning labels and would limit some advertising to text only. It would also give the FDA the capability to remove a store’s ability to sell tobacco if regulations aren’t met.

“It’s a death sentence and that order should be reserved for retailers who are not training their employees and doing everything they can to comply with state tobacco laws,” NACS lobbyist Lyle Beckwith told Politico.com.