Rep. Alcee Hastings is ready to sacrifice “Star Wars” droid R2-D2 for the good of American workers.

“We’re creating jobs for foreign robots instead of American workers?” the Florida Democrat asked while railing against an Arizona land-exchange bill Tuesday on the House floor. “No offense to R2-D2, but there are American workers who need help,” he continued in what seemed like another never-ending Hastings rant. (My good man, what, pray tell, did R2-D2 ever do to you?)

Hastings called the measure a “profit land giveaway to foreign companies looking to mine copper on American land.” And those foreign companies “are pioneers in developing automated and remote-control mining technologies,” so we do not likey. Or, at least, Hastings doesn’t. Not even the fictional world-famous astromech droid with an impressive résumé as a Hollywood superstar and, we hear, a list of references that include producer George Lucas, composer John Williams and Luke Skywalker himself (Mark Hamill).

HOH is holding out hope that C-3PO will challenge the Congressman to an intergalactic fight for picking on his good buddy.

Just because R2 might be made of metal and is likely battery-powered, doesn’t mean that if you prick him he won’t bleed, at least metaphorically.