By Richard Rubin, CQ Staff

The Senate’s decision to add its “tax extenders” bill to economic recovery legislation puts even more lobbying clout behind the effort to sway wavering House members.

From rural school districts to solar energy companies to film producers, interest groups with little or no stake in the original bailout bill (HR 3997) suddenly are as keenly interested in it as the powerful financial services industry, creating perhaps the biggest lobbying campaign of the year.

Their goal: Bring at least 12 House members from “no” to “yes” by emphasizing the tax goodies sprinkled throughout the new bailout bill (HR 1424) while avoiding defections from conservative Democrats who like the breaks but not the Senate’s version of them (HR 6049).

The renewed optimism and energy among tax lobbyists marks a sharp turn from the morning of Sept. 29, when it appeared that Congress would adjourn for the election, if not the year, without extending dozens of expired and expiring tax breaks.

“Tax extenders has truly risen from the dead, and in doing so it has sparked life into this financial rescue bill,” said Ashley Miller, director of congressional affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber, the financial services industry and many other groups were already trying to resurrect the bailout bill. But Senate leaders’ decision to add the extenders package brings a whole new list of advocates that have close ties to specific clusters of lawmakers.

“Our members were supportive [of the bailout bill], but it wasn’t really our focus. It is now,” said Greg Wetstone, senior director of governmental and public affairs at the American Wind Energy Association, which is trying to get the key tax credit for wind energy extended beyond Dec. 31.

The Senate’s tax bill, which passed, 93-2, on Sept. 23, would provide incentives for renewable energy production and conservation, “patch” the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for 2008, extend expiring tax incentives through 2009 and help victims of natural disasters. It is partially offset with revenue increases that would hit the oil and gas industry and hedge-fund managers.

Senate Finance Committee members assembled the tax bill carefully, to break a months-long logjam. They sprinkled it with targeted provisions: a child tax credit expansion for liberal Democrats, new coal tax breaks for Midwestern senators, extra help for Midwest flood victims and Gulf Coast hurricane victims, benefits for Alaskan fishermen, and beefed-up incentives for domestic film production.

Now the groups that were frustrated by the lack of action on taxes by this Congress are turning their attention to the House and the bailout bill. About 700 groups and companies sent a joint letter to lawmakers on Wednesday, asking for the extenders to become law.

Jane O’Keeffe of the Forest Counties and Schools Coalition said she was “delighted” to hear that the Senate’s extenders bill would be added to the bailout bill. It includes $3.3 billion for a program that provides payments to rural counties with significant amounts of federal land. House Republicans from the West had sharply criticized Democrats for failing to consider the Senate bill.

“I really hope that the House takes a good hard look at it and supports the bill,” O’Keeffe said. “I think that it’s good for rural schoolchildren all over the United States.”

The coalition of extenders lobbyists has avoided taking a stand throughout the past year on the procedural fight over how their provisions get enacted. At times, that standoffishness generated frustration among lawmakers who wanted the weight of industry groups on particular bills, but the strategy, Wetstone said, served the coalition well.