especially when compared the the new H1B threshold at 100K
What on Earth are you talking about? That $100K threshold is designed to target body shops.
There are a class of employers which are H-1B dependent; generally, those with at least 15% of their employees on the visa. Currently, H-1Bs with a salary of at least $60K are not counted toward that 15%. The bill will change this to $100K salary.
It is possible to hire a H-1B for $50k under the current laws if that is market rate for the relevant position.
The 100k threshold will do nothing for body shops. They will structure it so that on paper every employee makes the required amount to keep the DOL/DHS happy while clawing it back from the employee through "fees", "charges", and other underhanded tactics.
It increases the threshold of money involved, increases the amount of potential accounting tricks they have to do, and it raises the bar.
Political measures don't need to be absolutely effective to be useful. Raising the difficulty might be enough to deter a large number of fraudulent applications.
It's explicitly designed for people who get into YC: you get 2.5 years to prove your startup can make it to the next stage, the 2.5 more years to turn it into a real business (after which there are far more options like K-1, O-1, and various E investor visas). Depending on the situation it might be a formality... if your startup has grown to medium size with 100 employees and $20m revenue my guess is DHS will find any excuse to give you general public-benefit parole or an O-1.
You are also free to apply for other visas while in the US without affecting your parole.
What on Earth are you talking about? That $100K threshold is designed to target body shops.
There are a class of employers which are H-1B dependent; generally, those with at least 15% of their employees on the visa. Currently, H-1Bs with a salary of at least $60K are not counted toward that 15%. The bill will change this to $100K salary.
It is possible to hire a H-1B for $50k under the current laws if that is market rate for the relevant position.