Goldwater Institute's Christina Sandefur Honored with 2018 Buckley Award

October 22, 2018

Congratulations to the Goldwater Institute’s Executive Vice President Christina Sandefur, who has just been named as one of America’s Future Foundation’s Buckley Award recipients for 2018!

As one of the country’s leading organizations of liberty-minded professionals, America’s Future Foundation recognizes leaders in the freedom movement with its Buckley Award—and Christina is an ideal honoree: From working to restore people’s property rights to fighting for entrepreneurs’ right to work in the field of their choice, she’s devoted her career to helping people live freer, happier lives.

Specifically, Christina has been a driving force behind the creation and passage of Right to Try legislation—and that’s the work she says she’s most proud of. “I’m fortunate to have been involved in that project from its inception, from conducting the legal and policy research; to crafting the model legislation; to working with our allies, doctors, patients, policymakers, advocates, and supporters nationwide to pass the law in 41 states; to seeing Right to Try become the law of the land when it was signed by the President earlier this year,” she told America’s Future Foundation. “It was a tremendous accomplishment for freedom and for federalism.”

Beyond being a huge victory for liberty, Right to Try is also an important win for terminally ill patients and their personal autonomy. The policy gives patients and their doctors greater control over healthcare decisions, so those suffering with fatal illnesses are not at the mercy of the government when it comes to the course of their treatment.

“Thousands of Americans suffer and die each year while treatments that could help them are awaiting the outcome of a slow, bureaucratic process that takes a decade on average before potentially lifesaving treatments can receive final government approval for sale. That’s unacceptable,” Christina said.

“Why should the government have the power to make life-or-death decisions for individuals? After all, it’s a basic constitutional right—a basic human right—to fight for one’s life. Right to Try is a declaration that in our free country, people should be able to decide for themselves whether to try medicines that could prolong or even save their lives.”

Read Christina’s full interview with America’s Future Foundation here—including more about her public policy career and some fun facts.