WASHINGTON – The first stimulus checks are being sent by direct deposit and in some cases began arriving this week, the Internal Revenue Service announced. In this area, U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican, voted against giving the $1,400 checks to each qualified adult. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, a Democrat, voted for the checks. Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan Act over Republican opposition on a near partyline vote. “As a former mayor, I understand how critical it is for Kansas City and other smaller municipalities in the 5th District to receive direct funding,” Cleaver stated. “One of my priorities as we began to craft this proposal was to guarantee cities with populations under 500,000 would receive direct funding, and I’m thrilled we were able to make that much-needed change from previous relief packages.” U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, bashed the recovery measure. “This massive spending bil...