Hamre served in the
Congressional Budget Office (1978–1984), where he became its deputy assistant director for national security and international affairs. In that position, he oversaw analysis and other support for committees in both the
House of Representatives and the
Senate. In the 1980s, he worked for ten years at the
Senate Armed Services Committee.[8] During that time, he was primarily responsible for the oversight and evaluation of procurement, research and development programs, defense budget issues, and relations with the
Senate Appropriations Committee.[6]
Hamre worked on the
Obama transition team. He is chairman of the
Defense Policy Board.[7][10] Hamre's continued involvement in the defense establishment has put him on the short list for the position of Secretary of Defense multiple times, including during the formation of the first term of the Obama administration and most recently after the president's re-election in 2012.[11]
In July 2022, Hamre helped found a group of U.S. business and policy leaders who shared the goal of constructively engaging with China in order to improve U.S.-China relations.[12]
^
ab"Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 103d Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate". Vol. 103, no. 414. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1994. pp. 1280–1282.
ISBN978-0160436116.
^
ab"Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 105th Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate". Vol. 105, no. 371. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1998. pp. 406–408.
ISBN978-0160562556.