Ah I see where you were coming from, so you're saying that it's ridiculous since most spouses probably gave up/found something else to do, and those who would really benefit from a relaxed rule are those who just got their H1.

The way I see it, in the best case scenario a spouse can now get an EAD in 2 years (1 year before starting the GC process, 1 year to get the PERM and the I-140). Still far from being able to work right away, but progress nevertheless.