While President Barack Obama is relying on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to Hurricane Irene, GOP White House hopeful Ron Paul isn’t putting much faith in the agency.

The Texas congressman blasted FEMA at a campaign stop in New Hampshire Friday and said history is on his side, citing the experience of Galveston, which is in his district.

“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,” Paul told NBC.

A catastrophic storm hit Galveston in 1900, killing thousands.

“FEMA is not a good friend to most people in Texas because all they do is come in and tell you what to do and can’t do. You can’t get into your houses and they hinder the local people and they hinder volunteers from going in,” Paul said. “There is no magic about FEMA.”

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