I think the idea is that the min. wage is meant to be more prohibitive. People who are losing jobs to "cheaper H-1B" employees. This would benefit people who feel they are losing out to foreign labor as employees would rather pay a local $80k than an H-1B $110k when previously they could pay the H-1B 55k, putting the local out of the job.

E: I decided to open the article. My hunch was correct.

>"to prevent employers from using the program to replace hard-working American men and woman with cheaper foreign labor,"