 As Hurricane Irene bore down on the country's coast in August 2011, Paul said, "I live on the Gulf Coast.We put up with hurricanes all the time ...In 1900, before FEMA, the local people rebuilt the city, built a seawall, and they survived without FEMA ..."

In a speech on June 25, 2003, criticizing giving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair a Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, Paul said, "These medals generally have been proposed to recognize a life of service and leadership, and not for political reasons—as evidenced by the overwhelming bipartisan support for awarding President Reagan, a Republican, a gold medal.