WASHINGTON (AFP) - Lawmakers approved a 13-month extension of US borrowing authority with no string attached Wednesday, shelving a fractious political debate over the nation's debt ceiling until after November's mid-term elections.

Following the House of Representatives' lead from a day earlier, the Senate passed the legislation 55-43, marking a dramatic victory for President Barack Obama who had demanded a debt ceiling hike with no political riders or other legislation attached.

The measure now goes to the White House for his signature.