IN THE MEANTIME, JOE BIDEN,

FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT REFUSING

TO GET IN THE HOT SEAT.

BIDEN SAYING HE WOULD NOT COMPLY

WITH ANY SUBPOENA CALLING ON HIM

TO APPEAR AS A WITNESS IN

PRESIDENT TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT

TRIAL.

TOP CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS REMAIN

AT AN IMPASSE OVER THE TERMS OF

A POTENTIAL SENATE TRIAL.

SEVERAL REPUBLICAN SENATORS

PREFER A SPEEDY ACQUITTAL AND

OTHERS WANT WHITE HOUSE AIDES TO

COME IN AND TESTIFY.

AND WHILE DEMOCRATS WANT ALL OF

THESE WITNESSES, JOE BIDEN WHO

IS FACING SCRUTINY FROM THE

PRESIDENT OVER HIS SON'S

HUNTER'S DEALINGS IN UKRAINE IS

PREEMPTIVELY TAKING HIS NAME OFF

THE LIST OF POTENTIAL WITNESSES.

OUR CORRESPONDENT RICH EDSON IS

WHERE THEY'RE SPENDING THE

HOLIDAYS.

>> THE FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT JOE

BIDEN IS CLARIFYING REMARKS FROM

YESTERDAY, SAYS IN HIS 40 YEARS

OF PUBLIC SERVICE, HE HAS ALWAYS

COMPLIED WITH LAWFUL COURT

ORDERS AND HE'S TWEETED, QUOTE,

BUT I AM JUST NOT GOING TO

PRETEND THERE'S ANY LEGAL BASIS

FOR REPUBLICAN SUBPOENAS FOR MY

TESTIMONY IN THE IMPEACHMENT

TRIAL.

THAT'S THE POINT I WAS MAKING

YESTERDAY AND I REITERATE, THIS

IMPEACHMENT IS ABOUT TRUMP'S

CONDUCT, NOT MINE.

BIDEN SAYS THAT THE SUBPOENAS

SHOULD GO TO WITNESSES ABOUT

WHAT HE SAYS, THE PRESIDENT'S

SHAKEDOWN OF THE UKRAINE.

AND SOME SAID THEY WANT TO BROAD

AND SOME SAID THEY WANT TO BRO D

BROADEN ON THE TRIAL AND ALLOW

FOR ADMINISTRATION OF JOE BIDEN,

HIS SON HUNTER, HIS SON HUNTER'S

TIME ON THE BOARD OF BURISMA AND

IN THE UKRAINE.

AND THERE'S CONCERN ESPECIALLY

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE

ARGUING WHAT TYPE OF TRIAL COULD

BE FOR IMPEACHMENT.

IF YOU ALLOW THE REPUBLICANS TO

WIDEN OUT AND ALLOW THE BIDENS

AND UKRAINE THEN YOU CAN GET

EXPOSURE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE FOR

THE DEMOCRATS TO GET THEIR

WITNESSES CALLED.

AND ACTING CHIEF OF STAFF AND

MICK MULVANEY TO TESTIFY, FORMER