 He later earned a Master's in Health Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C..

After Pete Peterson won the 1990 congressional race against incumbent Republican Congressman Bill Grant, he hired Altmire to work in his Capitol Hill office.Altmire worked as a legislative assistant during Peterson's three terms in office (1991–1996), specializing in domestic policy issues.In 1993, Altmire was appointed to a working group for President Bill Clinton’s Task Force on National Health Care Reform.