Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina announced that the RAPID Reserve Act aims to reduce America’s reliance on China and address national drug shortages threatening patient health and security. The statement was made on X, a social media platform.
“For far too long, America has faced a drug shortage that not only threatens patients’ health but poses a national security risk,” said Budd. “I am proud to join Sen. Gary Peters in reintroducing the RAPID Reserve Act to end U.S. overreliance on China for access to essential medications.”
According to Prosperous America, drug shortages in the United States have been driven by a growing reliance on foreign supply chains, particularly China. In 2024, China supplied over 828,000 metric tons of pharmaceuticals to the U.S., exposing critical vulnerabilities in American healthcare and sparking calls for increased domestic production.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists reported that there were 270 active drug shortages in the U.S. as of early 2025. Over half of these shortages affect sterile injectables vital for hospitals, with 41% dating back before 2022, illustrating the persistent nature of this issue.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 60% of drug shortages now last two years or longer, compared to one-third in 2019. From 2018 to 2023, 258 unique active ingredients were affected, highlighting chronic supply chain issues even after the pandemic.
As described by Ballotpedia, Budd is a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina since 2023 and was previously a U.S. Representative. His legislative priorities focus on supply chain security, boosting domestic manufacturing, and FDA regulatory reform to address drug shortages.
