(CNN) House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff left the door open to the possibility of more hearings or depositions in the impeachment inquiry but said that Democrats will not "wait months and months while the administration plays a game of rope-a-dope in an effort to try to stall."

Schiff indicated on Sunday in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" that Democrats would not be taking former national security adviser John Bolton to court for his testimony.

Schiff also said Bolton should have the "courage" to testify like former National Security Council Russia expert Fiona Hill and others. And if he chooses not to testify, Bolton will have to explain to the country "why did he wait to tell" his story in his upcoming book rather than to the public "when it mattered."

"We've certainly been in touch with his lawyer and what we've been informed by his lawyer because we invited him and he did not choose to come in and testify ... is if we subpoena him, they will sue us in court," Schiff said. "Now, he will have to explain one day if he maintains that position why he wanted to wait to put it in a book instead of telling the American people what he knew when it really mattered to the country."

Over the past two weeks of public testimony, Bolton emerged as a critical witness. During that congressional testimony, National Security Council staff placed him in key meetings with Ukrainian leaders and private meetings with the President on releasing military aid to Ukraine. Bolton's lawyer told Democrats that the former national security adviser knows information that had not yet been disclosed to the committee but would only testify if a court ordered him to do so.

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