They welcomed Mr. Bush's proposal to give states vast new discretion to decide who gets what benefits.

A 1996 law gave states vast discretion to design and operate their cash welfare programs with lump sums of Federal money.

Historically, the Justice Department has exercised its vast discretion with great care.

And with caseworkers exercising vast new discretion, critics also say some troubled clients simply get turned away before they can get on the rolls.

"All we can do is appeal to Federal authorities who have ultimate decision-making power and vast discretion."

A comprehensive database would also treat all citizens equally, unlike current laws that often give authorities vast discretion to test some Americans but not others.

Under the proposal, state officials would gain vast new discretion even if they kept welfare as an entitlement program.

The law eliminated the individual entitlement to cash assistance and gave each state a lump sum of money, with vast discretion over how to use it.

Thus parents are left with many case-by-case judgments, and prosecutors with vast discretion when something goes wrong.

State officials would have vast new discretion to design their own welfare programs.