The federal government moved to classify more than 15 million pieces of information in 2004 — the largest number since the peak of the Cold War. The unprecedented secrecy, say some members of Congress and government watchdogs, is hindering the War on Terror and putting Americans at risk. "Somewhere in the vast cache of data that never should have been classified, and may never be declassified, is that tiny nugget of information that, if shared, could be used to detect and prevent the next deadly terrorist attack," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., chairman of the National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee.Lawmakers and witnesses attending a March 2 hearing on what one expert termed the "pseudo-classification" of documents say that in the government's zeal to protect information, thousands of documents that would not normally be considered top secret are being kept from congressional oversight, public view and other agencies relying on the data. "Some of the examples we reviewed involve absurd overreactions to vague security concerns," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., in a letter to Shays before the hearing. In one example, Waxman said the Department of Homeland Security had concealed the identity and contact information of its new Transportation Security Administration ombudsman, whose chief responsibility is to interact with the public over airport security measures.