(Bloomberg) -- A long-delayed bid to write a new law for stablecoins is getting a push from an unexpected lawmaker: crypto-skeptic Sherrod Brown.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman said Tuesday that he’s open to advancing such legislation in a package with a bill authorizing banks to do business with marijuana businesses and another measure clawing back compensation for executives at failed lenders. Support from Brown, an Ohio Democrat, would significantly boost chances for passage.

“That’s the goal,” he said, of combining the bills in a brief interview at the US Capitol. 

But Brown cautioned that any stablecoin compromise and would have to address his concerns for him to support it. He has repeatedly advocated for robust regulation of cryptocurrencies to ensure they have adequate guardrails and consumers are protected.

The stakes around stablecoins are high because the tokens, which are supposed to be backed by safe and highly liquid assets like dollars or Treasuries, serve as the bridge between crypto and the traditional financial system. Federal regulation would lend legitimacy to the asset class that could lead to broader adoption.

Read More: Stablecoin Push Unleashes Flood of Crypto Lobbying Cash

Stablecoins have been a divisive political issue in Congress. 

Passing stablecoin legislation has been a priority for retiring House Financial Services Chairman Patrick McHenry and the crypto industry. But Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, has warned McHenry and Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House panel, that a stablecoin law without adequate safeguards could spark a financial crisis. 

McHenry and Waters met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, last week to discuss ways to advance a compromise with the Biden administration. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said separately this week she intends to release her own stablecoin legislation on Wednesday. She has been working with Republican crypto advocate Cynthia Lummis.

Meanwhile, the pot-banking and executive clawback legislation have passed Brown’s committee with bipartisan votes, but haven’t received votes in the full Senate or House. On Tuesday, Brown said he would also want to attach Senate-passed legislation cracking down on fentanyl trafficking if it doesn’t move swiftly in the House.  

The package of bills could hitch a ride on must-pass legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration in May.

--With assistance from Tiffany Kary and Erik Wasson.

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